A Night for Mischief
by Emerald Viper
Summary: Nura Rikuo is now a senior at a prestigious High School. Events are drawing the estranged members of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol back together. Nurarihyon has picked a troublesome time to have "one last adventure". Influenced by both anime and manga.
1. Chapter 1

A Night For Mischief

"You bastard!" The sound of Mizumi's resonating slap drew the attention of all of the students waiting for the train at Hiroo Station. Some of the girls looked shocked, but the members of the Azabu High School Kendo Club all laughed, even thought there was nothing particularly funny about the situation.

Every boy at Azabu High School knew that the captain of the Kendo Club, Nura Rikuo, had a reputation for two-timing. He'd been seeing the same girl since Junior High - although he would never admit it. Some of the rumors said that it was an arranged marriage that he was trying to get out of. In any case, it was obvious that Mizumi had found out about the notorious "Tsurara-Chan". On more than one occasion, the shameless girl had appeared _inside _of the all boy's school, earning Rikuo a detention every time.

"Mizumi, it's not what you think!" Rikuo protested. When she scowled at him, he fell silent and only rubbed his cheek. It seemed fair, somehow, that she'd hit him hard enough to leave a mark. He _had _been lying to her, and as much as he liked the girl – he didn't have any intention of telling her the truth.

One of his oldest friends, Jiro, helped him to his feet. They'd first met in Junior High when another friend, Kiyosagi, had started a yokai-hunting club dubbed the "Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol". When both Rikuo and Jiro transferred to Azabu High School, Kiyosagi had dropped out of school altogether to take a full-time job hosting a popular television show - "Paranormal Experts".

Rikuo smiled slightly at the thought. _If only anyone knew..._

The six members of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol – Kiyosagi, Jiro, Natsumi, Saori, Kana, and Yura were probably the only High School students in the Tokyo area who _knew_ that yokai were real.

They'd been in no small amount of danger following Kiyosagi's leads, which were usually very good. Though he was not supernaturally gifted himself, he was a top-notch investigator and knew how to separate common hoaxes from genuine spirit activity. Still, as oblivious as he often was – most yokai probably would have left Kiyosagi alone – if he hadn't always been in the company of Kana, Yura and Rikuo.

Kana attracted yokai because she was genuinely afraid of them and there were many malicious spirits who enjoyed harassing any human they could get a good scream out of.

Yura attracted yokai because she was an onmyoji, a demon-hunter trained from birth to track and exterminate malevolent yokai. Many demons considered terrifying or killing an onmyoji to be a noble accomplishment.

And Rikuo...

Rikuo attracted yokai because he was one.

"Oh, and give this back to that tramp!" Mizumi tossed a yellow angora scarf at Rikuo's feet and stomped away, followed by her giggling entourage.

Jiro picked up the scarf. "Oikawa-san?" He wondered, using Tsurara's assumed surname.

"You know I can't explain to Mizumi that Tsurara is my bodyguard." Rikuo admitted.

"I guess not." Jiro replied nervously. He gave Rikuo Tsurara's scarf. Though Jiro had known the truth about Rikuo and Tsurara's relationship for the past six years, the events that had driven all of the members of the Paranormal Patrol in different directions still weighed heavily upon him. It had seemed like fun at the time, chasing after crazy Kiyosagi in his neverending quest to track down and film yokai.

But the "fun" had all been before any of them knew the truth about Rikuo. Though on the surface he appeared like any other High School student, a high achiever who was reluctant to break the rules and somewhat shy around girls – Rikuo was actually the Third Heir of the Nura Clan, a yokai Yakuza who controlled most of the Tokyo area.

Since he'd taken the mantle of leadership from his grandfather at the yokai age of majority – thirteen, Rikuo had become frighteningly strong, even to the point where his old friend could see his yokai side during the day. Because he was mostly human, Rikuo was only able to use his formidable supernatural powers at night. That was the reason for his bodyguards. Depending on what business was going on with the Nura Clan, Rikuo regularly had two bodyguards and sometimes as many as six. Tsurara, the mysterious "fiance" who made so many other girls envious – was in reality Rikuo's subordinate, a kind of yokai known as a "Yuki Onna" or "Snow Maiden".

Not that Tsurara didn't have feelings for Rikuo – Jiro simply doubted that Rikuo would ever notice.

Which was a shame, Jiro reasoned. Even knowing that Tsurara was a yokai, he'd had a crush on her for years – and she'd never once glanced in his direction.

"Are you going to study for that Chemistry test this weekend?" Jiro asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, probably." Rikuo replied, looking a little sheepish.

Jiro groaned. He'd had to work very hard to get into Azabu High School and was constantly afraid of doing poorly. Rikuo never seemed to crack a book and somehow passed every exam. It was monumentally unfair, but at the same time, Jiro couldn't remain angry at his old friend.

Rikuo had a lot of responsibilities, and even though most students from Azabu went on to University to earn degrees in law, science, or engineering – Rikuo did not have any choice as to what he would do when he finished school. In fact, his grandfather had been pressuring him to drop out since Junior High so that he could fully devote his attention to the business of running his Hyakki Yagyo.

Visions of the last time he'd witnessed The Night Parade in action sent an uncomfortable shiver down Jiro's spine. When there was trouble afoot, or on beautiful summer nights when a hint of mischief lingered in the air, Rikuo would assemble all of his yokai followers and lead them out for a hunt. Spheres of iridescent blue were-light illuminated their passage, although the yokai themselves were invisible until they wished to be seen. It was a beautiful, surreal world that the yokai inhabited – one that was all too easy to get lost in.

Still, Rikuo made every effort to remain part of the sunlit world. Jiro suspected it had something to do with a promise he'd made to Kana many years ago. Kana had been reluctant to join the Paranormal Patrol in the beginning. She had always been very afraid of supernatural things and had a knack for getting into trouble. Perhaps it had been a blessing in disguise when her father had gotten a promotion and moved his whole family to start a new office for his company in America.

None of the former members of the Paranormal Patrol had heard from Kana in years. Jiro avoided mentioning that he suspected it was because Kana had not taken well to discovering that her only "normal" friend, Rikuo, was actually a yokai – and not only that, but the commander of one of the most powerful Yakuza families in Japan.

Not that Jiro could blame her. Even when he wasn't trying to be terrifying, Rikuo was still a little scary. The sun was beginning to go down and already Jiro could see flecks of inhuman red in his friend's normally brown eyes.

"When is the train going to get here?" Rikuo muttered with impatience. During the day, he was usually very quiet, but as the sun went down it became obvious that his other side was taking hold. "Night Rikuo" was much more reckless, arrogant, and impatient than "Day Rikuo" ever was.

"It's delayed thirty minutes." Someone supplied, a girl with thick glasses who was playing with her phone. "Someone jumped on the tracks."

Jiro grimaced and Rikuo sighed heavily. "I'm not going to wait that long." He informed Jiro. He unzipped his kendo bag and stuffed Tsurara's scarf inside. Jiro blinked in surprise as he caught sight of a familiar white wood scabbard. The actual sword hidden amongst Rikuo's usual kendo gear was a deadly weapon – Nenekimaru, the godslayer. The sword could not harm a human but spelled certain death for any yokai. Even a small cut would cause them to bleed off energy uncontrollably. The weapon had been shattered many years ago in Rikuo's first battle with the insane demi-god, Abe no Seimei. He'd been a child at the time by both human and yokai standards. Now seventeen, he was almost an adult in the human world.

But as Jiro saw it, Rikuo had already been an adult for a long time. In fact, the weight of his responsibilities was beginning to make him look _old_.

If Rikuo was carrying Nenekimaru to school, then whatever business the Nura Clan was embroiled in had to be serious indeed.

Jiro followed Rikuo to the top of the stairs, but there was no sign of him anywhere on the street. The sun was low enough in the sky that Jiro suspected Rikuo had probably just changed forms and disappeared.

He could literally do that – disappear.

It was irritating.

Jiro heard the train pulling into the station and raced back down the stairs. "Wait!" He shouted. "Wait!"

Rikuo watched Jiro from his perch on top of a street lamp, smiling slightly. It was no surprise that everyone thought he was older than Jiro. The whole world seemed to confound Jiro, even the things that he could easily see – and affairs of the spirit realm were even more incomprehensible to him. The poor kid had a crush on Tsurara, never seeming to understand that she was a snow maiden, more than a hundred years old and well out of his league.

Rikuo watched the sun set. By leaping from rooftop to rooftop, he could be home well before the train reached his neighborhood station. Not having to wait for public transportation was one of the best things about being yokai. No human could imagine what it felt like to travel so quickly, not bound by anything so mundane as the laws of physics.

"Master?" A familiar voice whispered as Rikuo leapt to the nearest roof.

Rikuo glanced over his shoulder, not entirely surprised to see Sasami Tengu, one of his bodyguards. She usually traveled with both of her brothers. Though Rikuo could not see either of them, he suspected that Kurou and Tosaka were both nearby.

"Your grandfather has been asking for you." Sasami informed him.

"How is he?" Rikuo asked.

"My father won't say." Sasami admitted. "But the Supreme Commander's health is poor, and he won't stay in bed."

"I should head home then." Rikuo paused. "I was going to check in on Shoei tonight. Could you three do that for me?"

"Hey! How did you know we were here?" Tosaka demanded, appearing suddenly at Sasami's side.

"I'm your master for a reason." Rikuo smirked. "I wouldn't be very good at my job if you were capable of tricking me so easily."

"He has a point." Kurou agreed, tousling his brother's feathers. "We'll go to Shoei. You go home."

"Thanks!" Rikuo waved as the three Tengu flew away. They were very serious most of the time and probably didn't feel as though they needed any credit for obeying the orders they had been given. Still, Rikuo felt compelled to show his appreciation.

_That's what makes me different. _He reminded himself. _I actually care._

When he arrived at home, Rikuo quickly changed out of his school clothes. His grandfather was very traditional and especially disliked seeing Rikuo's school uniform. It annoyed him that Rikuo refused to quit school and devote all of his time and energy to the business of running the Nura Clan.

The old man was in the courtyard near the kappa pond, sitting in the grass at the foot of the sakura tree which was covered in beautiful pink blossoms. Unlike every other sakura in Tokyo, the one on the grounds of the Nura Clan's house did not seem to know what season it was and persisted in blooming year round, a thing which caused many of the neighbors to wonder if the old mansion was haunted.

Of course, they had plenty of reason to be suspicious. At any given time, more than one hundred yokai of all shapes and sizes were in residence at the Nura house, which meant that inexplicable gusts of wind, doors and windows opening without warning and strange noises were commonplace.

Rikuo's grandfather, Nurarihyon, founder of the Nura Clan, was a pure-blooded yokai and well over four hundred years old. Though many yokai were truly immortal and never aged at all, the years had not been kind to Nurarihyon. Some suspected that it was because of a terrible curse laid by the nine-tails kitsune Hagemoro Gitsune, the same curse that prevented him from ever having any pure-blooded children or grandchildren to inherit his clan.

Rikuo's own father had been half human, though his mother was a princess who possessed magical powers. Rikuo himself was only one quarter yokai, not that it mattered.

Rikuo had learned long ago the same lesson that his father had – that it was part of the yokai nature to consume and that although humans could become yokai through terrible emotional experiences, there was no way for a yokai to become human again.

"Where were you all day?" Nurarihyon demanded.

"The same place I go every day. School." Rikuo admitted truthfully.

"I wish you wouldn't waste your time there." Nurarihyon snorted.

"I know. But it's my time, and I'm going to waste it how I like." Rikuo paused. It seemed so recently that he had viewed his human side as unforgivable weakness that made him unfit to lead the Nura Clan and his Hyakki Yagyo. Now he was fighting to hold on to what was left of it. That was something his grandfather could never understand.

The old man sipped his sake. Out of the corner of his eye, Rikuo could see several of his grandfather's most loyal subordinates watching him from inside the house. When he realized that Rikuo had seen him, Hitosume Nyudo shoved Mokugyo Daruma out of the way and closed the screen so quickly that he almost caught Karasu Tengu in it. The little Tengu squawked in protest and then quickly composed himself.

"Come drink with me, Rikuo." Nurarihyon motioned for Kejoro to pour him another sake. Rikuo sat down in the grass across from his grandfather.

"You wanted to see me, old man?" He asked. "Why?"

"No reason. I'm getting old, that's all. Sentimental. You're seventeen now. I would like to see you get married before I die. But your mother says you're no good with girls." Nurarihyon teased.

"Mizumi broke up with me today." Rikuo grimaced.

"Four-hundred years ago, I would have told you to go kidnap yourself a princess. But these days, it's not that easy. At least find a good woman like your mother. I've always liked her, despite the fact that she's useless when it comes to housework." Nurarihyon laughed.

"Isn't that why we let all of the little yokai live here? To keep my mother from breaking every plate in the kitchen?" Rikuo suggested.

"Yes, of course." Nurarihyon sighed. He smoked his pipe and stared up at the moon. "You're a fine young man, and you'll do well by this clan."

"And I'll have you to ask for advice." Rikuo added. "You're not dying yet, old man, so don't try to convince me that you are."

"All right, I'm not dying yet. But I am leaving." Nurarihyon slowly stood.

"Where are you going?" Rikuo demanded. He tried not to sound as fearful as he felt. It was no secret that his grandfather was in poor health. Maybe, like an old dog, he was trying to find somewhere to die.

"One last adventure. It would take too long to explain." Nurarihyon supplied.

"At least take a bodyguard with you..." Rikuo began. He fell silent as his grandfather held up his hand.

"No." He paused, taking a deep breath and gazing up at the moon. "My, it's a nice night for mischief, don't you think?"

Rikuo nodded. He could feel it himself – it was what the yokai called a "hot blooded night", a night for perfect for causing trouble. Of course, as leader of the Nura Clan, Rikuo had laid down some laws about harming humans, but he knew better than anyone that forbidding yokai to play tricks and cause Fear was altogether impossible.

Fear was everything to yokai, and more importantly – it was the very emblem of the Nura Clan.

He struggled with that desire himself. Though it had been embarrassing to explain when Kana had discovered his identity, he'd thoroughly enjoyed sweeping her off of her feet and dragging her out for midnight games at the local yokai teahouses and bars run by Bake-Neko and his cohorts. It was very, very enjoyable to have someone awed by his presence.

How had those Kyoto yokai put it, so many years ago?

He liked causing "fireworks". Yes, that was it! Though needless cruelty was something he would not tolerate, an occasional long night of sake-fueled gambling with bewildered mortals who would remember nothing in the morning was perfectly acceptable from his perspective.

With no further words for his grandson, Nurarihyon faded into the darkness. A shower of plum blossoms caught by the wind followed his departure and for the briefest of moments, Rikuo thought he could see the old man's shadow hopping the wall and disappearing down the street.

There was no use in following him. He _had _taught Rikuo virtually everything he knew – and had four hundred years of experience besides.

Rikuo stood and smiled slightly. An inspired idea had just occurred to him.

"Where did the Supreme Commander go?" Mokugyo Daruma wondered, peeking out of the house for the second time.

"I've no idea." Rikuo admitted.

"But he didn't take any of his bodyguards with him!" Karasu Tengu groaned. "Oh, Supreme Commander!" He cried out, flying in the direction that Nurarihyon had disappeared. "Wait! Wait for me!"

"I wish I could say I was surprised by this." Another retainer of the clan, Gyuki, admitted, appearing in the doorway behind Mokugyo Daruma and Hitosume Nyudo. "But this is a _very_ fine night. Even the Supreme Commander could not resist its lure."

"A fine night indeed!" Mokugyo Daruma agreed. "Now where are you off to, Master Rikuo?" He wondered.

Rikuo glanced casually over his shoulder with a slight smirk. "Follow me and you'll see."

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demon danced above Tokyo. Rikuo enjoyed the beautiful view, riding on the head of an accommodating little dragon who'd joined his Hyakki Yagyo somewhere near Shibuya Station. The experience of seeing the city from above was something he could not put into words. Like Kana had been, Mizumi was fearful of all things supernatural and would never feel the peace he felt up in the sky – only the awe and fear that overwhelmed most mere mortals. He could never have explained his Night World to her in any way that she could understand. Maybe it was best that she'd broken up with him.

"Master Rikuo!" A familiar voice called out as yet another late-comer joined the Hyakki Yagyo. Surrounded by a flurry of snowflakes and her entourage of little crystal faeries, Tsurara came bounding up to Rikuo's side.

"Oh Tsurara?" Rikuo casually produced her angora scarf. "I believe _this_ belongs to you?"

She flushed as he wrapped it around her neck. Of course, being a snow maiden she couldn't really blush but her skin did look slightly less frosty than usual.

"I feel ridiculous." She admitted. "This is part of my human disguise."

The yellow scarf certainly stood out against her silvery kimono, but she kept it on anyway.

Tsurara hopped up on the dragon's neck behind Rikuo and gazed out over the city with a smile on her face.

"This is a _perfect_ night for mischief!" She whispered.

"I know." Rikuo agreed.

The dragon made a little noise. It was done being Rikuo's mount and had found the pond it wished to go soak in. Rikuo and Tsurara leapt down from its back and onto a cloud, treading softly as if over the surface of the water. It was the magic of the Night Parade that kept them aloft in the sky, walking a silver road of fog filled with all of the stars of the Milky Way.

"So where are we going, Master Rikuo?" A little yokai, Natto Kozo demanded, racing up to the front of the Hyakki Yagyo with his usual cohorts.

"Well, I heard that Kiyosagi is filming an episode of his "Paranormal Experts" show at a haunted house tonight." Rikuo explained. He pointed down to the house in question where two vans full of camera men and special equipment were already parked outside.

"I don't sense any Fear coming from that house." A yokai observed. "I don't think it's really haunted."

Rikuo grinned broadly. "It is now."

Realizing what their master was proposing, the yokai all gathered around Rikuo to hear his plan.

"Now you all know the rules. No hurting anyone!" He ordered. "But the first one to send Kiyosagi running out the front door gets a special prize."

"What kind of prize?" Awashima demanded. The brash Tonno yokai had moved into the Nura Clan's main house several years ago for reasons that he/she never cared to explain. Rikuo was grateful for his/her help, although that didn't change the fact that he/she was usually a pain.

"A kiss from Yuki Onna!" One of the yokai suggested.

"A kiss!" Another agreed.

"Uwaaaaaiii!" Tsurara gasped, looking absolutely mortified. "Master Rikuo!"

"Don't worry. Now that he really hunts yokai for a living, Kiyosagi is much tougher than he used to be. No one will win this easily." Rikuo reassured her.

"Well, what about us women?" Kejoro demanded with her hands on her hips. "If one of us should win, there should be a prize for us!"

"I don't want to be the prize!" Tsurara wailed.

"I'll kiss the winner!" The assassin-monk, Kurotabo, winked.

"You're no prize!" Kejoro slapped the back of his head and the smug smile disappeared from his face.

"We'll just see who wins and I'll think of something appropriate." Rikuo decided. "Now on the count of three... let's teach these humans why they shouldn't go around looking for _us _in the middle of the night! One, two!"

Rikuo did not make it to three. On the count of two, all of the yokai were racing down to the house, eager to find the best hiding place to scare Kiyosagi.

Rikuo rolled his eyes. Some things never changed, and yokai would always find a way to cheat – even at the simplest of games.

Rikuo waited for the Paranormal Experts camera crew to begin assembling their equipment in the courtyard of the old house. He already knew that Kiyosagi would be the last one out of the van, gathering up all of his supplies. When Rikuo and Kiyosagi were in Junior High going on missions for the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol, Kiyosagi had been thoroughly clueless. He'd outfitted himself with silly gadgets purchased online until their mutual friend Yura, who was herself a professional exorcist, had gotten him some genuine yokai protection.

Kiyosagi didn't have the innate talent necessary to become a real yokai hunter, but a few prayer strips and some holy water went a long way, at least where most smaller yokai were concerned.

Rikuo landed effortlessly on his feet just behind his friend. He parried the prayer strip Kiyosagi flung at him with the hilt of his sword, not even drawing the weapon.

"Nice try." He laughed.

"Rikuo-sama?" Kiyosagi blinked in surprise. Since learning Rikuo's true identity, he had always accorded him a ridiculous amount of respect. Then again, maybe it wasn't so ridiculous when one considered that Kiyosagi was currently making his living chasing down yokai. Being friends with the leader of the Nura Clan was probably the only thing that kept him from losing his head.

"I haven't seen you in a long time. I suppose you're going to try to keep me out of that house?" Kiyosagi guessed. Several times previously, when Kiyosagi had been about to get into something over his head, Rikuo had made an appearance. Neither of them wanted a repeat of the "Great Ape Scare" that had thrown all of Kanto in an uproar two years ago.

"Not at all." Rikuo shook his head. "Be my guest."

Kiyosagi paused, as if he suspected Rikuo knew more than he was saying. "Say, while you're here – we want to do a show about that haunted power plant. Do you know anything about what's in there?"

"I haven't heard anything about a haunted power plant." Rikuo admitted.

"Well, it's going to be our one-hundredth episode so we want to make it a good one. There have been some stories on my message board of people who go in there getting killed in pretty grisly ways. I have four special guests signed up already to be part of the tour group!" Kiyosagi grinned. "I wanted to ask if you would come along too."

"It would be silly for me to go along on a yokai hunt, Kiyosagi." Rikuo reminded him.

"But it won't be the same without you! Come on, Natsumi and Saori already agreed. I talked to Jiro this afternoon – and he's up for it too." Kiyosagi replied.

"A reunion of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol?" Rikuo observed. "But without Yura and Kana..."

"Yura's coming in from Kyoto. In fact, she's the one who told me about the power plant in the first place. I would have invited Kana, but... well, I don't know her address in America. I suppose it's too far to expect her to come just for some television show she's probably never seen." Kiyosagi admitted. He glanced at his watch. "Uh, it's almost time for me to start the tour. I'd better get in there."

"Have fun." Rikuo waved.

"That place is swarming with yokai just waiting to scare me, isn't it?" Kiyosagi observed dryly.

"I promised a prize to the member of my Hyakki Yagyo who could chase _you_ out the front door." Rikuo smirked.

"You're so petty." Kiyosagi observed.

"I am yokai. There's a certain satisfaction in seeing humans screaming and running. But don't worry. The rules are – no one gets hurt." Rikuo explained.

"I wish I had as much faith in your demons as you do." Kiyosagi sighed in defeat.

"You don't think they'll go against my orders?" Rikuo raised an eyebrow.

"Definitely not." Kiyosagi agreed, glancing warily at Rikuo's deadly sword. "So are you in for the power plant tour?"

"I'm in." Rikuo agreed. "And if there are any yokai in there who really have been killing humans, they'd better be prepared to face the Lord of Pandemonium."

Without another word, he vanished. Kiyosagi thought for certain that he could hear the sound of Rikuo's wooden sandals going up the front steps of the old house.

_Rikuo-sama is going to hide in there somewhere and scare the crap out of me_. Kiyosagi grimaced.

Then he smiled. He wouldn't have it any other way.


	2. Chapter 2

A note on the previous chapter: I've been informed that Kiyosagi should be Kiyotsugu – Thanks! As most fans of Nurarihyon no Mago (aka. Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan) know, there are LOTS of names to keep track of, some of which are very similar. Sometimes it's difficult to spell Japanese names correctly. Because of lots of positive feedback, I've decided to keep writing this story.

Two

Kiyotsugu entered the courtyard of the old Hayakawa mansion. The last rays of sunlight had long since faded from the sky, but the stars refused to come out. A strange mist obscured the steps that led into the main house. The still night air smelled strangely of azuki beans, plum blossoms, and fresh snow.

There were yokai close by.

Kiyotsugu turned his tactical flashlight to its lowest setting and surveyed his crew. Though many people were always asking for the opportunity to work on his show, Kiyotsugu preferred to film most episodes with only the help he absolutely needed. That meant two cameras, his co-host, and his ever-present production manager, Itoh Atsushi, who insisted upon having his hands in everything.

Hibiki and Daisuke Inokai, the two "Paranormal Experts" camera men clutched their equipment and tried valiantly not to appear terrified. The twin brothers had been working on the show for six full months, which was much longer than any of the previous film crew had lasted. They'd learned to sense when they were close to serious yokai activity. Though they were dedicated to their work, a very powerful swirl of mischievous and malevolent energies always made them nervous.

"Do you this place is really haunted?" Atsushi whispered.

Kiyotsugu laughed. Even if he had not just spoken with his old friend Rikuo, he would have expected to find more than a few yokai hiding in the Hayakawa mansion. The history of the place was absolutely fascinating, and his message boards had been swamped with accounts of sightings near there. "Of course it's haunted! It would be a waste of our time if it wasn't!"

Chiaki Okamoto, Kiyotsugu's co-host, motioned for the Inokai brothers to pick up their gear and follow after her. She checked the batteries in her lapel microphone and also turned down her flashlight.

Over the years that Kiyotsugu had spent studying yokai, he'd learned that anything which produced too much illumination scared off more timid spirits. Some of the experts swore by night vision or infrared goggles, but those were only good for catching certain kinds of yokai. A faint blue LED light kept Kiyotsugu from tripping over his own feet and allowed his cameras to record without disturbing the dark miasma which made "Paranormal Experts" such an exciting show to watch.

More importantly, Kiyotsugu knew that he was currently hunting Rikuo-sama, which meant that he needed to pay attention to the shadows. It was never easy to catch the young "Lord of Pandemonium" on film, but Kiyotsugu was determined to accept the challenge that had been offered to him. His ratings would surely jump sky-high if he forced his old friend to use some of his formidable magic to chase him out of the house.

"Three, two, one, action!" Chiaki counted aloud and the brothers both turned their cameras on Kiyotsugu.

"Welcome, Paranormal Experts fans, to another exciting night of yokai-hunting!" Kiyotsugu proclaimed. "Tonight we are at the Hayakawa mansion in Asakusa. This house was built in 1864 when the Asakusa District was still outside of Tokyo. No one has lived in this house since 1928. The last resident was Hayakawa Ichiro, the famous kabuki actor."

Chiaki stepped forward, taking her place at Kiyotsugu's side. "As some of you may know, Hayakawa Ichiro had a younger brother, Ao, who was also a kabuki actor. The legend claims that Aoi was so jealous of his elder brother's ability that he secretly poisoned him and buried his body under one of the plum trees in this courtyard. No body was ever found, but everyone who has tried to purchase this house could not stand to spend the night here. There have been more than one hundred sightings of yokai here! Oh, Kiyotsugu-san, I'm so scared!"

"Don't worry, Chiaki-chan. You'll be safe with me! I'm a paranormal expert!" Kiyotsugu reassured her. It was all an act, of course. Chiaki had been an avid yokai-hunter herself even before joining Paranormal Experts and she was no more afraid of spirits than Kiyotsugu was himself. The audience liked it, however, when she pretended to be afraid and so she had learned to shriek on cue quite convincingly. Atsushi gave them both a "thumbs up". The opening of the show had gone perfectly – there was no need to re-shoot it.

Taking Chiaki's arm and winking to Daisuke's camera, Kiyotsugu led the way into the haunted house.

Nura Rikuo stood in the hallway of the Hayakawa mansion, invisible in the shadows. Kiyotsugu and his crew walked directly past him, not noticing his presence at all.

That did not surprise him. Rikuo had inherited from his grandfather Nurarihyon one of the most coveted of all yokai powers, a particular kind of Fear that caused even other yokai to become incapable of seeing or touching him. When Kiyotsugu glanced back in his direction, Rikuo cleared his mind and thought of how the reflection of the moon appeared in water. By touching that reflection, he could cause it to blur and shift. Using his power was very similar. He became like a reflection himself, solid one moment and then inexplicably gone, leaving no sign of his passage but a rippling current of air. He'd been right in front of his old friend's face but Kiyotsugu had never seen him at all.

Rikuo smiled slightly. Though he'd once struggled to master the most basic aspects of his yokai nature, all of the battles of his Junior High and High School years had honed his skills considerably. Now he could use his Fear with the ease and artistry of a professional calligrapher. If his grandfather had been present to witness his subtle vanishing act, Rikuo knew that old man would be very proud of him.

Nurarihyon was infamous throughout Japan for using the particular talent of his bloodline to let himself into the homes of strangers where he commonly helped himself to their food and drank all of their tea. When Rikuo had been very young, Nurarihyon had taught him how to "dine and dash" as if it were a trick every bit as impressive as conjuring blue arcane fire from sake and cherry blossoms. Such petty, mischievous behavior had caused many to underestimate the old man, forgetting how he'd acquired the title "Lord of Pandemonium" and become leader of all of Tokyo's yokai.

Like his father and grandfather before him, Rikuo was now "Lord of Pandemonium" himself. The title was no small one, and in order to keep it, Rikuo found that it was necessary for him to constantly think strategically. Most yokai had extremely short attention spans and often needed to be reminded that their master was powerful and that his plans were fun and interesting. Rikuo hoped his current "contest" to scare Kiyotsugu would help dissuade some of the usual grumblers, who complained about being bored whenever they weren't fighting for their lives against onmyoji or other yokai.

Rikuo felt slightly guilty about using Tsurara as the "prize" in his contest, especially since the thought of having to kiss the winner had made her blush so terribly. Then again, there was always a chance that someone like Kejoro or Awashima would win. Neither of them would want a kiss from Tsurara, and it was very likely that Kiyotsugu would be more afraid of the seductive and shameless Kejoro than a physically strong yokai like Aotabo or Kurotabo.

Though Kiyotsugu's co-host Chiaki seemed to like him well enough, Kiyotsugu was notoriously bad with women. Rikuo grimaced as he recalled the yokai doll that Kiyotsugu had made for their friend Kana so many years ago. Kiyotsugu really didn't understand girls. Normal girls, anyway. Chiaki was far from normal.

From a few feet down the hall, Rikuo heard Chiaki shriek and laughed slightly as he noticed two little yokai running away from her dancing flashlight. Such tiny spirits were often more afraid of humans than humans were of them.

A familiar presence behind him caused Rikuo to slowly turn around. One of the his grandfather's oldest and most loyal subordinates, Gyuki stood with his arms crossed, looking somewhat annoyed.

"Are you interrupting my fun?" Rikuo demanded, raising an eyebrow at Gyuki. It was no secret to him that most of the founding members of the Nura Clan were not as interested in petty games as the much younger yokai who made up his Hyakki Yagyo.

"There is a very violent yokai in this house that you should know about." Gyuki admitted. "His name is Baku and he was sealed by an onmyoji here more than fifty years ago. If those friends of yours find him, they may let him loose on accident."

"All the more reason to scare them out of here right away." Rikuo grimaced. How was it that he hadn't sensed the presence of any yokai in the house? Was the onmyoji's seal so powerful that it blocked any traces of radiating Fear?

From up ahead, Rikuo heart two more screams, the first from Chiaki and a second from one of Kiyosugu's camera men. Kiyotsugu had opened the door to the bath and Kappa was drenching the Paranormal Experts with large amounts of water. Kiyotsugu and his production manager struggled to shut the door so that Kappa's spray wouldn't damage their equipment, but the water was too powerful.

A big pair of hands reached in and shut the door, closing Kappa inside of the bath. Kiyotsugu sighed in relief, wringing out his shirt.

"Thanks for the help! I thought I'd never get that door closed! You must be very strong... oh." Kiyotsugu trailed off into silence. His camera men stared up in horror.

"Boo." Aotabo grinned. All of the Paranormal Experts froze, but none of them fled.

"What, don't you fear me?" Aotabo demanded. "I'm the Iron Blue Monk!" He proclaimed, pointing to his rosary of skulls. "A Strike Team Commander in the Nura Clan's Hyakki Yagyo!"

"Going to school with the young master has been no good for you, Aotabo! You've been hanging around humans too much!" Kappa chimed in, peering out of the bath. "I don't think they're afraid of you at all!"

"Oh, they'd better be afraid of me! Maybe I should teach them a lesson! You know what happens when I take off this rosary?" Aotabo growled. Of course, he did not intend to do any such thing. Rikuo noticed from his hiding place that Aotabo barely touched the skull beads. The power that he truly possessed was too potent to be used in any petty contest, but Kiyotsugu was well-aware of Aotabo's origins and did look a little pale as he considered facing the unchecked strength of one of the Nura Clan's most powerful warriors.

Both of the camera men took a nervous step back and Chiaki glanced at Kiyotsugu with a worried expression on her face. The production manager was pale as a sheet and shaking uncontrollably. He'd seen yokai before while working on the show, but never so close.

"Nice bluff. Is that the best you can do?" Kurotabo replied sarcastically, appearing suddenly beside his friend. The assassin monk looked particularly ominous in the darkness, only his eyes visible under the brim of his straw hat. With a wicked grin, he released one of his many weapons from his voluminous sleeves, nearly impaling the production manager.

The production manager screamed and ran, slamming the door behind him as he fled.

"There goes Atsushi." Chiaki observed flatly. She, Kiyotsugu and the camera men held their ground.

"Well, why aren't the rest of you running? You're not afraid that we'll kill you?" Kurotabo demanded.

"You won't kill us." Kiyotsugu replied. "You won't even hurt us!"

"Oh yeah? How can you be so sure?" Aotabo put his hands on his hips. Chiaki fearlessly stepped forward and poked the emblem of "Fear" on the blue hapi coat that the yokai wore.

"You're Nura Clan!" She smirked. "Your master won't let you."

"Let's not waste our time with these small fry!" Kiyotsugu announced. "There's something good in this house – I'm sure of it!"

"You go first, Kiyotsugu-san!" Chiaki agreed. "We're with you all the way!" Feeling bolder after seeing Chiaki react so calmly, the two camera men began to follow her and Kiyotsugu down the hall. They glanced over their shoulders at Aotabo and Kurotabo a few times but said nothing.

"Small fry?" Aotabo groaned.

"I've never been so humiliated." Kurotabo sighed heavily.

The two Strike Team Commanders glared indignantly the direction of Kappa who only shrugged. Rikuo laughed silently to himself as he slipped unseen past his subordinates, following the Paranormal Experts deeper into the labyrinthine halls of Hayakawa mansion. Gyuki's warning was not one to be ignored, but he saw no reason not to let some of the others have their chance at scaring Kiyotsugu before he called off his little contest.

To the disappointment of Kubinashi, the Paranormal Experts were not at all afraid of his floating head. Kiyotsugu recognized him as a Nura Clan member and one of Rikuo's bodyguards before he even had the opportunity to pull out his infamous red string.

Jami's sudden and unexpected appearance did get a good, genuine scream out of Chiaki and Zen's malicious smirk caused Kiyotsugu to stagger back a few paces himself. He relaxed as he realized that he hadn't actually encountered Rikuo - yet.

The yokai who were not wearing their Nura Clan hapi coats seemed to be faring the best in the contest and word was clearly spreading that the honorable emblem of "Fear" did not intimidate Kiyotsugu or the other Paranormal Experts. Rikuo continued to observe his followers and his friends unseen. Everyone who'd failed to spook Kiyotsugu would surely be inspired to start training harder when they returned to the Nura Clan mansion.

That was a good thing, Rikuo reasoned. It had been quiet in Tokyo for too long and he couldn't afford for his subordinates to become soft. A new danger could emerge at any time and the Nura Clan would need to be ready for it.

Kejoro sighed heavily, picking up several discarded hapi coats. Rikuo smiled slightly and phased into visibility just long enough to toss her one that he'd found himself.

"Your subordinates should be punished for being so careless with their laundry." Kejoro remarked.

"Wash all their coats with itching powder." Rikuo recommended.

Kejoro smirked. "I may do that."

"You're not trying to scare Kiyotsugu?" Rikuo observed.

"Why should I?" Kejoro rolled her eyes. "A kiss from Tsurara? You know, you shouldn't play with a womens' hearts the way you do!"

"It wasn't my idea!" Rikuo protested.

"Maybe not, but you didn't object – and you could have!" Kejoro scolded. "And have you even considered the possibility that Kiyotsugu won't run out of this house until you make him leave yourself?"

"I will need to get him out of here if no one else does." Rikuo admitted. "Gyuki says there's something in this house that ought to be left alone. But I don't see what that has to do with anything. It's my contest, isn't it? I can win it if I want to."

"And the prize you promised?" Kejoro demanded.

"Well, I don't need any prize. Everyone already knowns that I'm the best! Anyone who beats me should get a reward!" Rikuo smirked.

"You really have no idea, do you?" Kejoro rolled her eyes.

A scream from up ahead caught Rikuo's attention. He'd only been distracted for a few minutes and already he'd lost sight of the Paranormal Experts! Without a word of explanation, he raced down the hall, leaving Kejoro behind in a flurry of discarded laundry.

"Rikuo-sama, I'm not done talking to you!" Kejoro scolded. Rikuo didn't seem to hear her. She sighed heavily and began picking up all of the hapi coats she had gathered. The idea of adding some itching powder to the wash was beginning to sound very good to her. And if Rikuo-sama managed to win his stupid contest and didn't do what she hoped he would, Kejoro considered putting his underwear into the same load of laundry.

Rikuo hid himself behind a suit of armor in the corner of the room that the Paranormal Experts were exploring. The scream he'd heard had come from Chiaki when Awashima had caught hold of one of the camera men and put his/her blades to his throat.

The Tonno yokai threatened the poor camera man so convincingly that Rikuo almost felt compelled to intervene and remind him/her that no one was supposed to get hurt – but then second camera man, fearlessly raced forward with a dramatic war cry. He bludgeoned Awashima over the head with his camera and he/she lost his/her footing. Rubbing his/her head, Awashima glared at Rikuo in his hiding place and stalked off, muttering about how unfair it was that he/she was not permitted to "teach those stupid humans a lesson". The two camera men picked up their equipment and awaited Kiyotsugu's command. The expressions on their faces made their feelings perfectly clear. They were no longer afraid, and willing to continue filming.

With Kiyotsugu in the lead, the Paranormal Experts made their way down a long, narrow flight of stairs which led into a natural cavern below the mansion. A gust of cold wind carrying a flurry of snowflakes caused Chiaki to shudder and button up her sweater.

Rikuo smiled slightly. Though he guessed that the four yokai hunters were probably approaching the seal that Gyuki had warned him about, it would be terribly unfair to end his contest without giving Tsurara a chance to win in her own right. That would settle the whole awkward kissing question without making it look like he favored any of his subordinates over the others.

But he did favor some of them, he realized, hesitating at the top of the stairs as he watched Kiyotsugu and the others descending. Though he did not want to see any member of his Hyakki Yagyo harmed, it only irritated him when he saw Awashima or Kappa taking a beating. When Kurotabo, Kejoro, or Kubinashi was in trouble – it felt much more personal. And if it was Tsurara who needed his protection, that made his blood boil.

What had Kejoro been suggesting? What did it matter if he won? He wasn't his grandfather, after all! He wouldn't take a kiss from someone who wasn't willing to give one!

The ground under his feet rumbled and an all-too familiar scream caused Rikuo's heart to skip a beat.

Tsurara!

He swiftly drew his sword.

The two snowflakes that Tsurara's Fear had left permanently tattooed on Rikuo's back felt like lead weights, tugging him down to where he knew she was. It had been a long while since Rikuo had needed to borrow the power of any of his subordinates – his last fight with Abe no Seimei had been several years ago.

Still, he was especially sensitive around his blood brother Zen and especially Tsurara. It was no small thing for one yokai to willingly surrender his Fear to another, and though he'd used his Matoi technique with others over the years, he could not forget what it had felt like to share that bond with Tsurara - who had trusted him more than any of his other followers ever had or ever would.

Tsurara believed in him.

Though Rikuo always kept his yakuza tattoos covered up in public, he didn't view them as the markings of a lawless gangster. No one who wasn't a member of the Nura Clan truly understood that Nurarihyon's Hyakki Yagyo was a family.

The Paranormal Experts were in his way. Not bothering to conceal his presence, Rikuo effortlessly leapt over the heads of Kiyotsugu and Chiaki who stared up at him in awe.

"Was that..." Chiaki began.

"The Lord of Pandemonium himself!" Kiyotsugu exclaimed. "Yes! Follow him!"

The camera men hesitated. "Didn't you hear that scream? Maybe we shouldn't go down there?"

"Hibiki, give me your camera!" Chiaki ordered, seizing the equipment from the bewildered camera man. She awkwardly heaved the camera onto her shoulder, putting her thumb directly on the lens. Like Kiyotsugu, she was a zealous yokai hunter when she wasn't pretending to be terrified. She'd been the president of a "paranormal patrol" in Kansai before transferring to a better school in Tokyo. Chiaki had only heard stories of the leader of the yokai before and was obviously not willing to miss the opportunity to see him in action. "Ready, Kiyotsugu-san?" She asked, turning the camera on him.

"This is going to be our best episode ever!" He agreed.

The two yokai hunters ran after Rikuo without a moment's hesitation.

"If Chiaki-chan breaks another piece of equipment, Atsushi-san is going to fire all of us." Daisuke sighed heavily.

His brother nodded. "We'd better go after them." Hibiki added. "Our equipment must be protected!" He vowed, doing his very best impression of a valiant hero.

They followed down the stairs.

The stairs led down into the central chamber of an enormous natural cavern, the kind of secret place that could only be concealed by a veil of powerful Fear. Rikuo had encountered just such a veil during his training in Tonno years ago, so he knew exactly how to pass through it. Even still, the radiant energy that surrounded the place that he'd come to left him feeling weak, something he was not accustomed to – especially not when he was in his yokai form.

This is bad. Rikuo thought to himself, searching the cavern for any sign of Tsurara.

When he did catch sight of her, standing in the shadow of an enormous broken seal, he sighed in relief. Though Rikuo knew that such a seal could only have been put into place by a powerful onmyoji, like the Keikans who had sealed Tsuchigomo and the other allies of Hagemoro Gitsune, Tsurara was still on her feet, which meant that she could still help him fight whatever it was that Gyuki had feared might be released. With her favored weapon in hand, a halbred made of ice, Tsurara stood staring up at a yokai unlike anything Rikuo had ever seen before.

It was impressively large, a full twenty feet tall with an elephant's trunk and tusks, horns like a gazelle, an ox-like body and the paws and claws of a tiger. What had Gyuki called the beast?

Baku, Rikuo remembered. He sensed vaguely that he'd heard mention of such a yokai before.

"Tsurara!" He shouted out, drawing the Baku's attention.

"Rikuo-sama, stay back!" Tsurara ordered.

"Damnit, Tsurara! You don't have to protect me!" Rikuo protested.

A strong, cold wind forced him to stagger back. Tsurara's eyes met his own and Rikuo hesitated. She'd used her breath to keep him from getting any closer. Tsurara had often jumped to his defense but she had never physically attacked him before! "Yes, I do!" She protested. "It's the Baku! That idiot human set it free and it's starving! It will eat you if you come any closer!"

Rikuo blinked in surprise as he noticed Atsushi, the television production manager, hiding in the shadow of the enormous seal.

"Atsushi-san!" Chiaki exclaimed, reaching the bottom of the stairs with Kiyotsugu close behind her. Then the two caught sight of the Baku.

"Get out of here now, Kiyotsugu!" Rikuo ordered. "Now!"

The two camera men ran to help the production manager to his feet. Chiaki did not stop filming. She stared up at the Baku in absolute horror, frozen in place as if she'd been caught by Tsurara's breath.

Rikuo turned again to look at the horrific visage of the Baku. He considered Tsurara's warning and tightened his grip on the hilt of Nenekimaru. There were few yokai capable of standing against the exorcist blade. Even the smallest cut could prove fatal. At very least, he needed to give the Paranormal Experts time to escape. Even if it had been Atsushi's fault that the Baku was freed, ordinary humans did not stand a chance against such a powerful, old yokai. If he didn't hold back himself, Rikuo did not doubt that he might injure or kill his own friends on accident.

He had to take out the Baku, and he had to do it quickly.

Rikuo he charged forward to strike at the monster despite Tsurara's warning. The Baku easily parried his blade and caught him with its long trunk, wrapping around him like a constrictor snake.

"At last!" It exclaimed gleefully. "At last I have you!"

Rikuo lost his grip on Nenekimaru and the sword clattered to the floor. He suddenly felt as though all of his strength was flowing out of him.

It was as if he'd taken a cut from Nenekimaru himself. His Fear faltered and faded as it did when the sun came up, and without consciously trying to do so, he returned to his human form.

The Baku seemed surprised. It dropped Rikuo on the ground and made a very strange noise.

"You... you're not Nurarihyon?" It gasped.

Only then did Rikuo realize where he'd heard the name Baku before. His blood ran cold.

Baku, the dream-eater. Baku, the destroyer of illusions.

Baku, the yokai that tried to devour Nurarihyon!

Tsurara stepped in front of Rikuo. "How dare you attack Rikuo-sama! Don't you know that he's the Commander of the Nura Clan? All of his subordinates are in this house right now, upstairs! They will be here any minute!" She proclaimed, sounding unsure of her own words. "You don't want us for your enemies!" She warned. "You may be big, but you can't face a real Hyakki Yagyo!

"Now, now. That's quite enough, little Yuki Onna. I'm not going to kill your master. I've already taken everything I need from him." The Baku laughed.

It grinned wickedly. The air around the Baku rippled and flickered, and its monstrous form condensed into a smaller shape.

Somehow, the Baku had taken all of Rikuo's Fear and was wielding his power as if it were its own!

Rikuo stared in horror at his yokai self. The Baku, wearing Rikuo's face, picked up Nenekimaru and sheathed the exorcist sword. Tsurara struck at the Baku with her weapon and it shifted out of visibility moments before she would have made contact with it, just as Rikuo would have done himself.

Chiaki gasped in shock and dropped her camera. Kiyotsugu lost no time. Grabbing his co-host by the collar of her sweater, Kiyotsugu forced Chiaki, the bewildered camera men, and their terrified production manager to start running up the stairs.

They didn't get far. A flood of yokai poured into the cavern, led by Gyuki and his subordinates. The Hyakki Yagyo stared in confusion at the two Rikuos, one human and the other yokai.

"That's not Master Rikuo, that's the Baku!" Tsurara pointed. Gyuki's eyes widened.

"The Baku has been freed?" Gyuki gasped. "Attack it now! It must not be allowed to leave this place! It wants to kill The Supreme Commander!"

The yokai all charged, but before any of them got close enough to attack the Baku – it vanished.

The Hyakki Yagyo searched the cavern, Gyuki still shouting orders. Out of the corner of his eye, Rikuo saw the Baku suddenly reappear behind Kiyotsugu on the stairs, still wearing his face. He didn't dare reveal where it had gone, too afraid that the monster would try to kill the oblivious Paranormal Experts who were so shocked by the dramatic appearance of the Night Parade that they weren't even bothering with their cameras. The Baku vanished.

Rikuo slowly stood. Though his instincts told him that it was still dark outside, and he knew that his powers should have been at their peak, he could not feel the hot burn of his yokai blood.

Whatever the Baku had done to him, it was serious indeed. Worse still, the monster was apparently set on devouring his grandfather. Someone needed to warn Nurarihyon that his sworn enemy had taken Nenekimaru and was currently wearing a very familiar face.

"Karasu Tengu followed my grandfather when he left the mansion earlier tonight." Rikuo announced, turning to his bewildered followers. "Everyone, look for him. Find him and tell him what happened!"

"You can count on us!" Aotabu agreed. Kubinashi, Kejoro, and the Tengu siblings also went running. Kurotabo came to join Gyuki and Tsurara at Rikuo's side.

"Are you all right?" Kurotabo wondered.

"I'm not injured, if that's what you mean." Rikuo paused. "But something strange has happened here."

"The Baku is a yokai which feeds on illusions." Gyuki explained. "I would have warned you earlier if I had known that anyone would get so close to it!" He shook his head heavily. "This is all my fault!"

"No, it's not." Rikuo shook his head. "It was my stupid contest that freed the Baku."

"Not true, Rikuo-sama! Even if you hadn't persuaded us all to come into this house, your friends still would have been here filming their television show. They might have freed it on their own and we wouldn't even have known that it was loose until it was too late!" Kurotabo interrupted.

"Yes, exactly!" Tsurara agreed.

"I suppose it doesn't matter whose fault it is that the Baku is free. Listen, everyone – because I may not have a chance to explain this again. The Baku is a yokai which devours Fear. It can do great damage to any of you if it manages to hold you for longer than a few moments, but it won't consume anyone it doesn't have to. It prefers to eat dreams and nightmares, which is why it is so focused on devouring Nurarihyon, who is as close to a living dream as anything in this world. Rikuo, because you are part human, the Baku could not devour all of you. But if it gets close enough to drink up Nurarihyon's Fear the way it consumed yours, The Supreme Commander will die." Gyuki .

"Is that what happened?" Rikuo paused. "The Baku consumed all of my Fear? When do I get it back?"

"You don't. The part of you that is yokai draws its strength from illusion, which the Baku collects and stores inside itself. It can use the Fear it eats as if it were its own. And until you slay it, you will not be able to take back what it has stolen from you." Gyuki finished.

Rikuo gritted his teeth. Without saying a word, he walked up to Awashima and seized one of his/her swords.

"Hey!" He/she protested. "Where do you think you're going with that?"

Rikuo did not respond. He headed in the direction of the stairs and Tsurara followed him.

"Wait a minute! Rikuo-sama! Who won the contest?" A little yokai demanded, tugging on the hem of Rikuo's hakama.

"The Baku did!" Another small yokai supplied. "Those humans ran away from the Baku!"

"But the Baku attacked Rikuo-sama!" Natto Kozo protested. "No one gets hurt! That's in the rules!"

A murmur of disapproval raced through the gathered Hyakki Yagyo.

"Does Yuki Onna has to kiss the Baku now?" The first little yokai demanded.

"I am not kissing that monster!" Tsurara scowled, taking a deep breath.

"Well, it doesn't look like a monster right now, it looks like Rikuo-sa..." The little yokai did not have the opportunity to finish what it was about to say. It was frozen mid-sentence into a large block of ice.

"You're coming with me?" Rikuo glanced at Tsurara, who nodded.

"You'd better not say no, Rikuo-sama. Right now you need a bodyguard!"

Rikuo hesitated. From everything that Gyuki had said, it was obvious that the Baku was terribly dangerous. And without his powers, he'd have to rely on Tsurara far more than he felt comfortable with. She could be in very real danger, and unlike the time that she'd been taken by Tsuchigomo, it was very possible that he would not have the strength to protect her from what they would come up against. "But the Baku..." He began.

"I am not kissing him and that's final!" Tsurara vowed. "Not even if he does look like you!"

"Excuse me?" Rikuo raised an eyebrow in Tsurara's direction. What had she just said?

"It's nothing, Rikuo-sama." Tsurara replied, avoiding his gaze. "Let's just go find that baka!"

"Baku." Rikuo corrected.

"Call it what you want." Tsurara retorted. "I know what it is!"


	3. Chapter 3

Three

The late-night train sped out from Tokyo. Unseen, a centipede spirit flew in its wake. A dozen other shadows raced through the rice paddies on either side of the tracks, never letting the train get too far ahead of them.

Though most of the businessmen who were returning home for the night could not see the yokai, the supernatural activity left them all feeling nervous. They glanced furtively in the direction of the two ordinary-looking High School students who sat in the far back of the very last train car. To anyone who didn't know them, the girl and the boy looked like a couple who'd just had a bad fight. The girl seemed exasperated and the boy was trying very hard not to look at her.

"Can't this train go any faster?" Rikuo complained. He gazed listlessly out the window at the night sky.

Tsurara sighed heavily. It was obvious that Rikuo was restless and she knew that it was useless to encourage him to relax. It had been five days since the affair at Hayakawa Mansion and Rikuo had not slept at all. He hadn't attended school either, despite the fact that Jiro had stopped by the house to pick him up every morning. Tsurara suspected that Rikuo had already missed his big exam and wondered if he would get Rikuo thrown out of Azabu High School. He'd certainly be in trouble for missing a week of classes without any excuse. He couldn't very well tell anyone that a vicious yokai was trying to kill his grandfather. That sounded preposterous, even if it was true.

Tsurara worried for Rikuo, but she said nothing. Drawing attention to Rikuo's current weakened state would only make him more irritable. Despite all the years she had spent serving as his bodyguard, Rikuo still maintained that it was _his_duty to protect her.

Thanks to Kiyotsugu and his "Paranormal Experts" crew, a very dangerous yokai had been freed from a long imprisonment. The Baku's chief desire was to devour dreams and nightmares. With that purpose in mind, it had stolen Rikuo's exorcist sword Nenekimaru and was currently hunting for his grandfather Nurarihyon. Worse still, Rikuo had lost more than his primary weapon. The Baku had absorbed all of his Fear and was currently using Rikuo's powers of illusion to masquerade as Rikuo's yokai self.

"You know how far it is to Shikoku, Rikuo-sama." Tsurara replied. "Why are you so impatient?"

Rikuo snorted but did not respond. Tsurara heaved another sigh. She frosted the window with her breath and smiled slightly as Rikuo pulled his nose away from the glass, startled by the sudden cold.

"What was that for?" He demanded.

"You're brooding, Rikuo-sama. Stop it!" She ordered.

Rikuo rolled his eyes. "I'm not brooding!" He protested. "It's just..."

"You'd rather be out there?" Tsurara suggested.

Rikuo nodded glumly.

It was plain to see that he would have preferred to be out running alongside the train, enjoying the beauty of the night. When she considered how many years it had been since they'd last traveled by any mundane means, Tsurara found that she couldn't actually remember the last time she had seen Rikuo wearing his human form after sunset. It had become his habit to change at twilight so that he could take full advantage of every hour of night. He had to, busy as he often was. But Tsurara also suspected that Rikuo felt uncomfortable dealing with yokai as his "Day" self.

Not that she blamed him for that. Even knowing about his condition, some of the more foolish little spirits who served the Nura Clan persisted in treating "Day" and "Night" Rikuo as if they were two different people.

But the Rikuo-sama that Tsurara sat beside on the train bound for Shikoku was not the same "young master" who'd tried to deny his yokai heritage for so many years. Even when he wore his human form, there was a fire in his eyes. He was intimidating whether he believed he was or not, very nearly six feet tall and both strong and fast. His reputation at Azabu High School was nothing like his Junior High reputation had been. Would-be bullies learned to fear "The Kendo Club" and especially Rikuo, who was widely acknowledged as the senior student that _nobody_wanted to pick a fight with. And that was a reputation he'd earned without using his supernatural powers at all.

With every passing year, Rikuo reminded Tsurara more strongly of his father, Rihan. Tsurara did not doubt that one day his legend would surpass that of the Second Heir of the Nura Clan, but she still kept silent. There was no use in singing the young master's praises when he was so utterly convinced of his own helplessness. He felt like he'd failed his clan in allowing the Baku to be set free, and he was very worried about his grandfather, who did not know that he was being hunted.

Tsurara considered Gyuki's ominous warning about the Baku and wondered what would happen if someone besides Rikuo were to kill the monster. If the Baku was slain by an onmyoji, what would happen to Rikuo's Fear? Would his powers return to him, or would he remain human? It was no small problem. Though Tsurara herself was willing to follow Rikuo however he appeared, not all of the yokai under his command would feel comfortable with the idea of a mere mortal leading a Hyakki Yagyo.

The old Supreme Commander had sure picked a terrible time to sneak off in search of one last adventure.

They passed a station and Tsurara craned her neck to read the sign. "Two more stops!" She informed Rikuo. "We're nearly there."

"Gyuki is probably meeting with Inugamigyobu Danuki already." Rikuo replied. The chief guardian of the Nura Clan's most distant territories, Gyuki had spent the past week organizing the retainers who usually hung around the main family's house drinking and gambling. Every yokai who was a competent fighter was traveling to the outskirts of Tokyo and preparing for a possible attack.

Once Gyuki had been satisfied with the defenses of the main house, he'd headed off to Shikoku to meet with Inugamigyobu Danuki, leader of the Hachijuhakki Yagyo. The 88 Demons of Shikoku still owed the Nura Clan a favor for sparing the life of Inugamigyobu's irresponsible son five years ago. Gyuki had decided that with Nurarihyon missing, it was probably a good time to pay the tanuki a visit.

After all, enemies who had long avoided testing the combined might of the Nura Clan would most definitely strike it they learned that the young Lord of Pandemonium could not do anything to stop them.

But Rikuo and Tsurara were not only traveling to Shikoku in order to meet with Inugamigyobu and his subordinates. Despite what had happened at the Hayakawa Mansion during the filming of the ninety-ninth episode of "Paranormal Experts", Rikuo's friend Kiyotsugu and his fellow yokai hunters had refused to cancel their special one-hundredth episode.

The planned reunion of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol at the inconceivably dangerous, _extremely_haunted Shikoku Power Plant was still scheduled to take place on Saturday night, a mere two days away. There was virtually no chance that Rikuo would succeed in finding and slaying the Baku before then, and that made Tsurara very nervous.

Rikuo had agreed to accompany the reunited Paranormal Patrol _before_he'd lost his Fear. Though it would have been safer for him to remain in Tokyo and not risk stirring up the nest of another old yokai, Tsurara suspected that he had insisted on keeping his promise to Kiyotsugu because he was absolutely convinced that the Paranormal Experts would need his protection. Tsurara had tried to convince Rikuo that his old friend, the onmyoji Keikain Yura, would be more than sufficient to deal with any yokai that might be living at the Shikoku Power Plant. But hearing Yura's name mentioned had only made Rikuo even more determined not to bow out.

Rikuo's friend Jiro and the other former members of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol would all be arriving in Shikoku in the morning. Rikuo knew that had to finish his yokai business before the sun came up, regardless of how tired he already was.

"We'll be on this train for another thirty minutes, Rikuo-sama." Tsurara paused. "Maybe you should close your eyes for a little while. You'll be no good to anyone if you don't get some sleep."

"How can I sleep at a time like this?" Rikuo demanded. His eyes drifted towards his kendo bag which held the sword that he'd borrowed from Awashima. He itched to have it on hand, but when he couldn't disappear on a moment's notice he didn't dare carry a weapon openly. People tended to be quite shocked when they saw someone running down the street with a katana. Yokai only got away with that sort of thing because they were naturally invisible to most humans.

"I still can't believe that I was beaten do easily!" Rikuo cursed. "And even if we do find this Baku, how am I supposed to slay it? I can't beat a yokai like that with an ordinary sword. I already lost to it once." He finished.

"You didn't know what it was, Rikuo-sama." Tsurara reminded him. "And anyway, I've been thinking. Your Matoi technique works because you're part human – isn't that so?"

Rikuo considered Tsurara's words. "Well, it's more because my subordinates place their trust in me." He turned to look out the window again. It was awkward to discuss the subject with Tsurara. Her faith in him was so unshakable that it made him feel undeserving.

"Then you'll never be powerless." Tsurara replied with conviction. "Because I will always trust you."

The two sat in silence until the train pulled into the station.

The very last passengers to disembark, Rikuo and Tsurara were met on the platform by all of the Nura Clan yokai who had followed them from Tokyo. A few went to scout the area for signs of trouble, leaving Aotabo and Kurotabo to join Gyuki, Rikuo, and Tsurara for their meeting with Inugamigyobu Danuki.

Gyuki's two most loyal subordinates, Gozomaru and Mezomaru, were sitting perched in a nearby tree looking insufferably bored. Rikuo suspected that they'd been ordered to watch the train station until he arrived and probably escort him to Inugamigyobu's lair.

But then Rikuo realized that Gozomaru and Mezomaru were not alone. A breeze tossed a flurry of bright green leaves at Rikuo's feet and he blinked in surprise as he caught sight of a familiar silhouette. Inugamigyobu Danuki's son Tamazuki had come to meet him in person. The tanuki's unexpected presence caused Rikuo to reach for his borrowed sword, which he drew clear from his kendo bag.

"You won't be needing that, Rikuo." Tamazuki chided. "I don't even have a weapon."

"So I see." Rikuo replied, steeling himself. "Forgive me, it's been an eventful week."

"So I've heard." Tamazuki nodded. "My father was not happy to learn that the Baku was freed. I understand that some humans were responsible for damaging the seal which kept it below Hayakawa Mansion?"

"That's true." Aotabo nodded.

"I've also heard that not one of your Hyakki Yagyo could scare those humans out of that house, despite the fact that you promised them a prize if they succeeded?" Tamazuki continued.

"Kiyotsugu doesn't scare easily." Rikuo replied grimly.

"My Hachijuhakki Yagyo would have sent them running. You Edo yokai must really be getting soft." Tamazuki replied, using the antiquated term for Tokyo that some of the more traditional spirits preferred.

"It was only supposed to be a game!" Tsurara protested. "No one was supposed to get hurt!"

Tamazuki snorted with disdain. Rikuo scowled.

Years ago, he and Tamazuki had come to blows and very nearly killed one another. Though everything he'd heard from Shikoku in recent years suggested that the heir apparent of the 88 Demons of Shikoku had changed his ways, Rikuo was still unsure of how far he could trust Tamazuki.

It did not help matters that he could not conduct the meeting as his yokai self. Tamazuki was fairly intimidating when he wasn't masquerading as human – and of all of his Inugamigyobu's hundreds of children, he had inherited the greatest amount of his father's magical powers.

Still, Rikuo had come to Shikoku on behalf of the entire Nura Clan, and he wasn't about to allow one arrogant, spoiled, tanuki princeling make _him_ look like a subordinate! The 88 Demons of Shikoku paled in comparison to his Hyakki Yagyo. "Just take me to your father." Rikuo replied coolly, smiling just a little as Tamazuki's expression soured.

"As you wish, oh Lord of Pandemonium!" Tamazuki bowed in a particularly rude manner and led them off into the forest.

All of the 88 Demons of Shikoku were gathered at the feet of Inugamigyobu Danuki when Rikuo and the other representatives of the Nura Clan arrived in the tanuki's sacred grove. Little yokai skipped about, eager to hear the whisperings of their betters. Tamazuki sat at his father's right side and sipped a cup of sake, his eyes fixed firmly on Rikuo whose presence caused quite the alarm. The older and more powerful yokai were shocked to see that the rumors were true and that the Third Heir of the Nura Clan was completely without his Fear. The smallest spirits fled at the sight of a human in their grove.

A table was brought out for Rikuo, Aotabo, Kurotabo, and Tsurara to sit with Gyuki in front of the leaders of the Hachijuhakki Yagyo. A wobbly little kodama poured sake for each of them, somehow managing not to spill a single drop. Though it was impolite not to accept such an offering, Tsurara did not touch her drink. She stared intently at Tamazuki, as if daring him to say something cruel that would prove that he had not changed as completely as he claimed that he had.

"It has been decided." Inugamigyobu proclaimed. "The 88 Demons of Shikoku will assist the Nura Clan in hunting the yokai known as Baku."

"Your help is appreciated, Inugamigyobu-sama." Rikuo smiled slightly. As difficult as Tamazuki was, his father was a paragon of stability. Rikuo found it strange strange that his own grandfather had always liked Inugamigyobu Danuki so well - they were complete opposites!

"Not so quickly, Rikuo-sama." Inugamigyobu interrupted. "You should know our whole reason. The Baku is especially fond of devouring tanuki. Our Fear is not unlike the Fear of Nurarihyon. We are natural illusionists like you, the makers of the dreams and nightmares which nourish the Baku. There is a good chance that if the Baku succeeds in hunting your grandfather, it may come after my children next."

Some of the littlest tanuki squealed in fear and scurried off to hide in the bushes.

"I appreciate your honesty." Rikuo nodded. "And I won't be wasting too much more of your time. But I do have one more question for you."

"Ask." Inugamigyobu nodded solemnly.

"Are there any dangerous yokai living in the old Shikoku Power Plant?" Rikuo wondered.

"No, I do not think that anyone lives there anymore." Inugamigyobu admitted. "Why did you ask?"

"Well, there are some paranormal investigators from Tokyo who are planning on searching that Old Power plant for yokai this weekend." Rikuo paused, realizing he'd almost said too much about his relationship with Kiyotsugu and the rest of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol.

"So? If something happens, maybe those humans will stop poking around where they aren't welcome." Inugamigyobu suggested.

"I doubt it." Rikuo shook his head.

"I will never understand how you worry so much about humans." Inugamigyobu sighed.

"I don't want anyone – yokai _or_ human to get hurt." Rikuo explained.

"Admirable response. I will send out a message to all of my subordinates warning them to stay out of that area when the investigators arrive. That's all the help I can give you." Inugamigyobu replied.

"Very generous of you, Inugamigyobu-sama." Rikuo smiled.

"It's the least I can do." He nodded cordially. "Now about this Baku..."

It was nearly sunrise when Rikuo's meeting with the 88 Demons of Shikoku drew to a close. The front desk manager of the hotel nearest to the train station seemed surprised that someone wanted to check in at such a strange time. Rikuo put his belongings in the closet and sat down on the bed, thinking. He noticed Tsurara peeking through the blinds of her room, which was across from his.

Tsurara had not approved of Rikuo's insistence that they reserve two separate rooms. It was very difficult, she protested, to be the bodyguard of someone who was sleeping in another building. Still, with the rest of the old Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol due to arrive soon, Rikuo did not want to give any of them the wrong ideas.

For certain, Kiyotsugu and Yura both understood that Tsurara was his bodyguard and not his girlfriend, but that still left the camera men and everyone else who worked on the television show. He was seventeen, after all – and he shouldn't be sharing a room with a girl he wasn't related to. It didn't matter that he been an adult by yokai standards for more than four years. In the human world, it just wasn't right.

Despite his intentions to stay away, Rikuo found himself nodding off.

Some time later, the sound of footsteps approaching shocked him awake. He leapt to his feet and swiftly drew Awashima's sword from his kendo bag. Rikuo clung to the shadows of the room and listened intently, wishing once again that he could use his Fear. Though his powers chiefly worked at night, he'd learned that he could tap into them very slightly when the sun was up and conceal his presence when necessary.

Without even the slightest bit of Fear to manipulate, he felt _very _obvious.

The knob on his door turned and Kiyotsugu craned his neck to peer inside. "Rikuo-sama?" He wondered.

Rikuo sighed in relief and stepped into the light. Kiyotsugu jumped.

"Oh! I didn't see you! You scared me." He admitted awkwardly. "I suppose that's a complement?" He wondered, raising an eyebrow in Rikuo's direction.

"Nice to know I can still scare someone." Rikuo smirked. "Is everyone here?"

"Yura-chan just arrived." Kiyotsugu nodded. "You should she the arsenal she brought with her! She really takes being the head of the Keikain family very seriously. Apparently, she's also brought along an onmyoji-in-training. He's very excited about meeting the infamous Lord of Pandemonium."

"Well, that little exorcist is probably going to be very disappointed." Rikuo sighed.

"Tsurara told me. You really have no powers at all?" Kiyotsugu wondered.

"I have to kill the Baku to get them back. And I have no idea where to find it." Rikuo admitted.

"Are you sure you should be filming the show with us tomorrow night?" Kiyotsugu asked.

"I've already checked with the local yokai yakuza." Rikuo replied. "We shouldn't be in any serious danger."

"Oh." Kiyotsugu frowned. He sounded disappointed.

"That doesn't mean we won't run into any yokai!" Rikuo added quickly. "If you want, I could order my subordinates to make a disturbance for your show."

"I'd like it better if we found something unexpected." Kiyotsugu admitted. "This is the reunion of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol, after all. Getting into trouble will make it just like old times."

"You're crazy." Rikuo rolled his eyes. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Well, Chiaki is taking our camera crew to film a little bit around Shikoku so we have some footage to add to the history part of the episode." Kiyotsugu explained. "Atsushi-san is taking care of everyone from the television station until we meet for filming at six o'clock tomorrow. I thought that today the Paranormal Patrol could spend some time together. It's been a long time since Junior High. Did you know that Saori has started her own clothing design company? And Natsumi is in college now, studying to be a lawyer. Jiro wants to try to get into her school next year. The way he's been following her around since she arrived, I think maybe he might finally be getting over 'Oikawa-san'!" He laughed.

Rikuo looked pensive.

Kiyotsugu paused. "Jiro told me that you missed your Chemistry test. Are you really going to drop out of Azabu High School? You worked pretty hard to get in there."

"I did. Though sometimes I'm not sure why I'm still in school at all." Rikuo admitted. "It's not like I get to choose what I want to do when I graduate."

"Yura is in the same position as you." Kiyotsugu reminded him. "She always knew that the Keikain family would be her responsibility. But she isn't dropping out of High School and you shouldn't either!"

"You're right." Rikuo replied. "Let's go catch up with everyone."

They stepped out of Rikuo's room and headed in the direction of the lobby. As they were about to turn the corner and pass through the doors that lead into the hotel courtyard, a beautiful girl approached the front desk. She carried a single suitcase with a dozen airport tags and was dressed in a long white coat. Her nails were done with a French style manicure and her long auburn hair was pinned up with a seashell comb. Whoever she was, she was obviously rich. Rikuo watched her for a moment with curiosity and then stared in disbelief as he noticed that she was carrying a very familiar, especially hideous yokai doll.

Kiyotsugu slowly turned around to see what Rikuo was looking at and grinned very broadly.

"Excuse me?" Kana asked the concierge. "But is this where the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol is having their reunion?"


	4. Chapter 4

Four

Dinner was an awkward affair. For the first twenty minutes at the restaurant, no one said much of anything, save for Kiyotsugu who lectured about the history of the Shikoku Power Plant for much longer than anyone cared to listen.

It was obvious that both Yura and Rikuo were suspicious of Kana, wondering if her sudden appearance was not some kind of trick being played by the Baku, who was capable of impersonating anyone it chose. Just how had Kana learned about the special anniversary episode of "Paranormal Experts"? She'd certainly returned to Japan too quickly to not have been planning a trip – but if she had expected to join up with the rest of the old Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol for the show, why hadn't she contacted Kiyotsugu first? If everyone else was difficult to pin down, he certainly wasn't. He was a television celebrity after all.

"I like your nails." Saori said, breaking the ice.

"Hm?" Kana blinked. "Oh, these?" She laughed nervously. "It's just a French manicure." She explained. "Nothing fancy."

"You didn't use to dress so nice." Saori admitted. "And I'm very jealous of your Chanel purse." She added. "It's super cute and it must have been expensive. You never used to carry a purse."

"Saori, when Kana moved away, she was only thirteen! Most parents don't let their girls get their nails done at that age! And I didn't have a purse until I turned sixteen!" Natsumi rolled her eyes. "We've all grown up! Things are different now!"

"Yes, so I hear." Yura nodded. "You're going to be a lawyer, Natsumi?"

Natsumi nodded. "That's my plan. I want to be a civil lawyer. Um, that means that I'll be helping out families most of the time. I don't think I'd be able to defend someone who'd done something wrong, even though that's the kind of law that pays really well." She explained. "Did you know that Saori has started her own company. You should see some of the clothes she designs! They're really beautiful!"

Saori beamed.

"Oh, wow. Everyone is so successful." Kana observed. She did not sound very excited at all.

"Well, you're successful too, Kana-chan." Jiro added. "I heard that your family is really rich now."

"That doesn't mean I'm successful. That means my father is successful." Kana replied. "And besides, I don't know what I want to do with my life at all. I suppose it's good that I haven't finished High School yet. I was in the same class as Rikuo and Yura, remember?"

"Have you thought about moving back to Japan?" Yura suggested. "Kyoto is a very good city for artists. I could introduce you to some of the people that I know if you wanted to do an exhibition of your paintings."

"You're a painter?" Rikuo blinked in surprise. He could not recall Kana ever picking up a brush.

"Oh yes, she's very talented!" Yura replied. "I have one of her pieces in my house in Kyoto. I wish I could show it to you."

"I had no idea that you were interested in art." Rikuo admitted.

"I wasn't. Not when we were in Junior High. But people change." Kana replied cryptically. Rikuo watched her with suspicion. Of course, he knew that much was true... but he still didn't seem comfortable with how different this new Kana was from the girl that he though he had known.

"Not these two!" Kiyotsugu proclaimed. Sitting between Rikuo and Yura, he reached out and wrapped his arms around both of them. "_They _are completely the same!"

"You know, I like to think that I've grown up a little since Junior High!" Yura remarked, shoving Kiyotsugu off of her. He nearly flipped out of his chair.

Rikuo rolled his eyes. A faint chill coming from the window drew his attention and he sighed in defeat as he noticed Tsurara outside, peeking into the restaurant. When Kiyotsugu had declared the dinner party to be "just for former Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol members" and dismissed his co-host Chiaki, Rikuo had felt compelled to tell his own bodyguards that they needed to remain outside. He felt very bad about ordering Tsurara to stay out of sight. It seemed particularly unfair, since all of the members of the Paranormal Patrol had known her as "Oikawa-chan" even before they'd known that he was the heir apparent of the Nura Clan. Still, Rikuo reasoned that having yokai in the restaurant protecting him would only remind everyone of why their club had disbanded in the first place.

Hunting spirits had been an amusing hobby for a group of children who hadn't really understood the danger they were getting into. But for anyone who knew that yokai were real and thoroughly understood what some of them were capable of – the situation was entirely different. Every member of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol had nearly been killed more than once.

Without his Fear, Rikuo found it very easy to pretend that he was completely human himself, just as he had often done in the past. Having Kana around should have made it feel precisely like old times – but somehow the whole gathering still felt forced. In the five years that had passed, they'd all changed too much. Himself most of all.

Rikuo watched the sun go down. Yura was the first to notice that he seemed to be avoiding everyone at the table. He'd been unusually quiet the whole night.

"Rikuo?" She pressed.

Distantly, Rikuo heard Yura's voice. A very familiar feeling had come over him, an intense burn that raced through his veins like liquid fire. When he turned to face her, Yura gasped with surprise and Rikuo did not have to see his own reflection in the windows of the restaurant to know that his appearance had changed. He hadn't completely assumed his yokai form, but his hair had suddenly gone white and his eyes were glowing red.

More than a few of the restaurant's patrons gasped in shock and the waiter who'd been refilling the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol's drinks dropped his serving tray on the floor.

Then, as quickly as Rikuo's Fear had washed over him, it departed... and once again, he returned to his usual human form.

"Rikuo-sama!" Tsurara cried. There was a resounding crash as Aotabo burst through the doors of the restaurant with Tsurara and a very bloody Tamazuki on his heels. The tanuki had obviously just staggered away from a very bad fight and Rikuo did not have to consider who he'd been trading blows with.

"The Baku!" Rikuo exclaimed, guessing immediately what had happened. "It's here!"

It made perfect sense to Rikuo that he should feel the effects of his own Fear if it was being used so close to him. He had to act immediately if he wanted to take it back – who knew when he would have another chance? Without hesitation, Rikuo reached into his kendo bag under the table and drew his sword, an act which brought another gasp of shock out of the restaurant's patrons who'd mostly given up trying to enjoy their dinners in peace.

Sensing that trouble was afoot, Yura produced one of her shikigami. Though she didn't summon it inside of the restaurant, it was obvious from the expression on her face that she'd be willing to risk damaging as much property as necessary if she believed that innocent people were in danger.

Then, to everyone's utter shock – Kana pulled a gun from her purse.

If Rikuo's sword and Yura's shikigami had drawn undue attention, Kana's gun caused everyone in the restaurant to drop to the floor. A gun was a weapon that they recognized. It was also a weapon that did not require an experienced hand to be deadly.

"A gun!" Saori exclaimed.

"Kana-chan, where did you get a _gun_?" Jiro protested.

"Do you even know how to fire that thing?" Natsumi demanded.

"I've been in America, remember?" Kana replied stiffly. Still, the way she held the firearm did suggest that she wasn't exactly sure which direction to point it in.

Kiyotsugu looked ready to protest, but no words escaped him. He stared blindly at the reflection of Rikuo's yokai self in the window of the restaurant and slowly realized that it was the Baku that he was looking at, and that it was right outside!

Kiyotsugu didn't have time to shout for Rikuo, but he didn't need to. Obviously attuned to the Baku's presence, Rikuo tightened his grip on his sword and charged directly through the glass. Tsurara and Yura both followed him without hesitation. Needing an exit of his own, Tamazuki scrambled over a dinner table, dumping a bottle of sake and breaking another window. Aotabo followed him, shattering the top of the table. He emerged in the parking lot of the restaurant just as Rikuo's borrowed steel met the blade of Nenekimaru. The inferior weapon immediately shattered, but Rikuo was not deterred. He kept his hand closed around the hilt of his broken blade.

When he moved within range of the Baku, he could feel the monster using his own Fear. His connection to the power was tenuous at best, not enough for him to resume his yokai form, but he moved much faster when he was close to the Baku than he could move when he was further away.

Determined not to let the Baku escape, Rikuo seized a piece of wood from the frame of the broken window and made it his new weapon. He'd used a stick to cut through Fear in the past, and although such a weapon was no match for Nenekimaru, it was better than nothing at all.

Despite still having the upper hand, the Baku backed away slightly, watching Rikuo, his subordinates, Tamazuki, and Yura all nervously.

Rikuo charged the monster again. He dodged an awkward blow from Nenekimaru and then stopped the sword by thrusting his broken piece of window frame under the Baku's right arm and into its ribs.

With an incoherent cry, Yura summoned Tanro, her large white wolf shikigami. Kana seemed startled and lowered her gun. She'd been the first of all of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol to witness Yura's real power and had never forgotten how intimidating and impressive Tanro appeared. Unlike many onmyoji who could control only one such shikigami at a time, Yura was a prodigy, even by the harsh standards of the Keikain clan. In the past she'd wielded as many as five shikigami simultaneously and also held the dubious distinction of being the only exorcist capable of summoning the Hagun, which was composed of all of the previous heads of the Keikain onmyoji lineage.

The Baku howled in pain and made another desperate lunge for Riku. They danced across the open space trading blows.

Aotabo watched his master solemnly, not interfering in the fight. The waiter from the restaurant crept up behind him and shattered a sake bottle over his head. Aotabo blinked, not at all injured.

"Hey! I'm on your side!" He growled in protest. The waiter lost his resolve and immediately ran away.

Coming to Rikuo's aid, Tsurara let loose a gust of freezing wind and then Tamazuki leapt into the fray, not waiting to see if Rikuo could finish off the Baku himself. He threw a dozen blows, none of which connected with their target.

The Baku seized hold of him. It lost its Rikuo form for the briefest of moments, one of its borrowed "arms" lengthening to take the appearance of its natural trunk. Tamazuki gasped as the Baku began to drain his Fear. His whole body began to lose its color and definition. He began to look like a ghost and for a moment it seemed that he would vanish completely until Rikuo charged the Baku for a third time, dunking his head and moving in shoulder first, like an American football player. Kana fired her gun twice, hitting nothing at all, and Yura's Tanro toppled the Baku with a snarl. Nenekimaru toppled out of the Baku's grasp. Rikuo saw the opening he'd been provided and seized his blade.

The Baku immediately vanished from under the shikigami's claws and reappeared standing on the hood of a car more than ten feet away. With a malicious laugh, it leapt off into the night... leaving the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol standing in the wreckage of what had once been a fairly expensive restaurant. Aotabo pursued the Baku with unparalleled yokai speed, and Tsurara moved to protect Rikuo, who was on his knees, breathing heavily and still clutching the hilt of Nenekimaru.

He'd gotten his sword back. That was something.

It took Tamazuki several minutes to stand. He wavered slightly on his feet.

"Fight me, you coward!" Tamazuki snarled, spitting on the ground. "I'm going to kill that Baku!" He vowed.

"Not if I get it first." Rikuo retorted.

"Try to stop me then." Tamazuki replied coldly. Evidentially not as gravely injured as he had appeared to be, he disappeared into the darkness himself.

"Well." Kiyotsugu observed, smiling slightly. "Now this is starting to be a little more like old times."

"Because something is trying to kill us, you mean?" Natsumi suggested. She and Saori still stood inside of the restaurant with their arms crossed, mustering their very best disapproving looks, the ones that they hadn't had cause to use in five years. Jiro did not look any happier with the situation.

"That was exciting!" Breathless, Kana turned to Rikuo and Yura, who both glanced at her gun with disapproval.

"Of course it was!" Kiyotsugu laughed. "Honestly! There's only one reason to chase yokai, after all!"

"Oh?" Jiro frowned.

"To get into trouble like this!" Kiyotsugu replied. His maniacal grin made him look a bit like a yokai himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Five

After the Baku vanished into the night, the local police arrived. The restaurant's patrons and staff were reassured that yokai were not real and that they would be perfectly safe if they simply headed home. The whole mess, including all four broken windows, was written off as a publicity stunt for the 100th show of "Paranormal Experts" and Atsushi, Kiyotsugu's production manager, grudgingly paid for the damage done to the restaurant. When the police finally departed, the seven members of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol returned to their hotel as if nothing strange had happened at all.

Saori and Natsumi decided they'd had enough excitement for one evening and immediately went to bed. Jiro stopped by the front desk to ask the concierge for some first-aid supplies that might be useful and Yura went to check on the "onmyoji-in-training" that she'd brought along from Kyoto. Kiyotsugu disappeared, presumably to send off the last few straggling members of the press who were still trying to take pictures around the ruin of the restaurant.

Rikuo paced in the courtyard of the hotel, waiting for his underlings to return with news of the Baku. It irritated him that he hadn't been able to pursue it himself – but then again, Tamazuki had not fared very well against the monster either. He would have to reconsider his plan of attack, but at least he had Nenekimaru back in his possession. With the exorcist sword, he could definitely weaken the Baku, even if he could not use his Fear to fight it. The blade he carried had been made for humans to kill yokai, after all.

For several hours, Rikuo practiced his katas, ignoring the wary looks that the hotel's patrons shot in his direction. Without his Fear to rely on, Rikuo knew his swordsmanship needed to be perfect.

The moon was high in the sky when he finally decided to get some sleep. Rikuo sheathed his blade and took a single step in the direction of his room before freezing where he stood. Despite how late it was, Kana had come to see what he was doing. She looked extremely self-conscious but more like her old self with her hair falling softly over her shoulders, her expensive coat and purse tucked back in her room. Rikuo sighed in relief. He hopped up onto the short stone wall that surrounded the courtyard and gave Kana a hand so that she could join him.

"I'm glad to see that you put away that gun." He observed. "You really should have been more careful, Kana-chan. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt back there."

"I wasn't going to shoot anyone!" Kana argued. "The gun only had one real bullet in it. The rest were blanks."

"Blanks?" Rikuo echoed incredulously. "You were trying to shoot a yokai with blanks?"

"Well, I know that not all yokai are evil. And I'd feel terrible if I ever killed anyone." Kana replied. "But I wanted you to see that I could protect myself."

"With _blanks_?" Rikuo demanded. "What if that monster had gotten close to you?"

The two stared at one another. Rikuo sighed heavily and buried his face in his hands.

"That wasn't very smart, was it?" Kana winced. "I'm sorry, I just... I didn't want everyone to think that I was helpless and they had to protect me. I thought that... well, I thought I could fight too?"

"Kana, you would only be putting yourself in danger! Yura and I have been training since we were children and hunting yokai is Kiyotsugu's whole life! You don't have to fight with us. You were part of the old Kiyojuji club and you've got the same right to be here as anyone else does. I'm not... _we're _not upset about protecting you at all." He corrected. "To be honest, I think Saori and Natsumi were more worried about you firing that gun than they were about the rest of us fighting the Baku."

"You'll protect me then?" Kana wondered.

"Haven't I always?" Rikuo replied.

"Yes. Of course." Kana nodded. "Rikuo, there's something I should..." She bit her lip as if she wanted to say something else, leaning in close to Rikuo. A sudden gust of cold wind caused Kana to jump down from the wall and Rikuo raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"On second thought, maybe I better go back to my room." She finished, flushing as she turned away and raced off across the courtyard.

Rikuo turned around very slowly. He was not at all surprised to see Tsurara perched behind him, feigning innocence.

"Aotabo says the Baku got away." She remarked.

"I'm not surprised." Rikuo paused. "But honestly, Tsurara – was that really necessary?"

"Was what necessary, Rikuo-sama?" She echoed.

"I know you chased Kana off." He clarified.

"I thought it would be better to give my report to you after she was gone., Rikuo-sama. Kana is afraid of yokai." Tsurara replied, very matter-of-fact.

"She has good reason to be." Rikuo replied. "Do you remember those filthy rats who took over the Neko Clan's business? Their leader would have killed Kana if Yura hadn't been there to protect her. And then there was that mirror yokai and Tamazuki..." He trailed off into silence. "I can't even count how many times she's almost been killed!"

"She should have stayed in America." Tsurara argued, her tone flat and as cold as her breath. "If you're trying to keep her safe, you won't be thinking about yourself, Rikuo-sama!"

"You worry too much." Rikuo scoffed.

"I'm supposed to worry. I'm your bodyguard, Rikuo-sama." Tsurara replied.

"Why?" Rikuo demanded. "Because I'm supposed to be the head of the Nura Clan, right? But what if I don't kill the Baku? What if I'm stuck like this? I'm of no use without my Fear. If I can't take it back, there's no sense in you trying to protect me. It won't matter to the Clan if I die. Your job is pointless."

"It is not! Rikuo-sama!" Tsurara gasped. Why... why are you so mean to me?" She protested.

"Why are you so mean to Kana? Right now I'm as helpless as she is!" Rikuo retorted.

"You are not, and that _stupid _girl shouldn't get meddle in things that she _doesn't _understand!" Tsurara protested.

"You're one to talk! You meddle more than she does!" Rikuo retorted.

Immediately after those words escaped him, he regretted speaking them.

Tsurara said nothing at all. She only watched Rikuo for a moment in silence with a very grave expression on her face that for a moment betrayed her true age, which was quite a bit older than her youthful face suggested. She turned on one heel and vanished into the night.

Tamazuki appeared behind Rikuo as swiftly as Tsurara had vanished. From the smug expression on his face, Rikuo suspected that the tanuki had been listening in on his entire conversation.

"Rikuo, you are an _idiot_." He remarked casually.

The two sat in silence for most of the night. Rikuo was not willing to admit that he was worried about facing the Baku again, and Tamazuki clearly didn't want to discuss his own failure to slay the beast. The nearly full moon bled white light, illuminating the hotel courtyard and creating long, strange-looking shadows.

Tamazuki watched the stars. "Tomorrow will be an excellent night." He observed, smiling slightly.

"I'd rather have a quiet one." Rikuo replied, knowing full well that what Tamazuki really meant was that it would be a hot-blooded night, a night for mischief. With Kiyotsugu and the rest of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol already prepared to explore the haunted Shikoku Power Plant, the last thing Rikuo wanted was to stumble over some dangerous yokai out looking for fun.

Of course, Rikuo expected that the Baku would rear its ugly head, but Inugamigyobu had promised to keep his subordinates under control. Tamazuki was a whole different problem. Rikuo doubted that the tanuki had ever listened to his father. Then again, obedience wasn't a common yokai trait. Rikuo smiled slightly, thinking of the trouble he had caused for his own grandfather. He could recall very clearly how Nurarihyon had always smirked when he learned that "Young Master" Rikuo had done something clever or wicked.

Rikuo realized that he'd taken his grandfather's constant presence for granted. Even though Nurarihyon no longer ran the daily affairs of the Nura Clan, Rikuo still usually asked for his advice. Nurarihyon was four-hundred years old, after all – and he knew more than a few things about running a yakuza family. Rikuo wished he knew where the old man had gone.

All of the yokai he'd sent to look for Karasu Tengu and Nurarihyon had returned empty-handed, so there was some hope that the old Supreme Commander was not alone. Even still, not knowing where his grandfather was with the Baku still roaming free made Rikuo very nervous.

He decided to send a message to Gyuki. There were still a few favors that the Nura Clan could call in, and Rikuo was beginning to worry that he should have sent his subordinates west towards Kyoto instead of up to the Nura Clan's northern border. Still, his Hyakki Yagyo couldn't be everywhere at once. If the situation remained tense, Rikuo suspected he would have to ask for mercenary help from Toono. The trouble was, he couldn't go petition Akagappa as he was. Unlike Inugamigyobu, who understood Rikuo's unique condition, Akagappa and most of the Toono yokai were outright hostile towards humans.

Perhaps he could send Awashima home to Toono if he/she was still lounging around the Nura Clan's main house?

Rikuo sighed, resting his chin in his hands. He knew that he needed to sleep, but there was still so much to worry about!

He glanced at Tamazuki, who was sipping a cup of sake. The tanuki raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"I'm thinking I should send someone to Toono." Rikuo admitted.

"Is your Hyakki Yagyo really so worthless that you have to hire mercenaries?" Tamazuki rolled his eyes.

"No!" Rikuo snapped. "I just think that someone should meet with Akagappa. We know that the Baku wants my grandfather, but we don't know where he went. He could be in Toono, he could be in Kyoto... at first I thought that he'd come here, to Shikoku."

"I see your point." Tamazuki observed. "But I don't believe the Baku is very far from here."

"It's very fast. It could be halfway to Edo by now." Rikuo replied, using the antiquated name for Tokyo. When he dealt with yokai, he always found himself slipping into familiar speech patterns that were very different from the ones he used at school or elsewhere in his "Day" life.

"It could be. But it isn't." Tamazuki replied.

"How do you know that?" Rikuo demanded.

"When your girlfriends ran off, you turned to look at me. And for a very brief moment you looked like yourself. Your other self." He clarified.

Rikuo reached for his sword. Tamazuki stopped his hand. "The Baku isn't here _now_! And it was never close enough for your blade!" He chided.

Rikuo slumped down in defeat. Tamazuki rolled his eyes. "So, while we're on the subject of things _you _can't comprehend or control... what is it with you and that Yuki Onna?"

"Tsurara?" Rikuo wondered. "She's my bodyguard." He replied.

"Bodyguard?" Tamazuki echoed, chuckling. "Hunh. I suppose you keep her very busy then?"

"It's nothing like you think!" Rikuo argued.

_Just what was Tamazuki suggesting?_

Rikuo wondered if his face looked as flushed as he thought it must. There was something in Tamazuki's tone that made him very self-conscious, particularly when the tanuki implied that he was involved with Tsurara. Though he hated being weak and needing protection himself, he had to admit that courage was a very attractive trait for a woman to possess – and not exactly a common one.

Why were girls always running, shrieking, and screaming whenever danger appeared?

When he thought about all of the girls he knew, Rikuo realized that Yura's calm nature was what had first caused him to become suspicious of her. Yura had never acted like a normal girl. Then again, neither had Tsurara. Of course, Tsurara _was_ yokai, but that didn't change the fact that Rikuo could not remember her _ever_ backing down from a fight. Usually he had to order her to save her own skin – and usually more than once.

"So you're involved with that human girl, then?" Tamazuki pressed.

"Kana? No! I haven't even seen her since Junior High!" Rikuo protested.

"Well, which one do you want?" Tamazuki prompted.

"What is wrong with you?" Rikuo demanded. He turned away from the tanuki, knowing that he was far redder than before.

Of course, Rikuo knew that Inugamigyobu had dozens of wives and nearly one hundred children, but he had never considered Tamazuki someone that he could share secrets with and was more than a little alarmed by his remarkably candid attitude towards the two women that Rikuo considered to be absolutely incomprehensible and mystifying.

"I'm a tanuki, aren't I? We're... a bit focused on this sort of thing." He replied, looking a bit like a cat lounging in the sun. "Does that mean your little snow maiden is fair game?" Tamazuki pressed.

"You get anywhere near her and we can finish what we started five years ago." Rikuo replied coldly.

Tamazuki clapped his hands together, looking extremely pleased with himself. "I suppose I should be off. I'll meet you tomorrow around sunset for that little "Yokai Hunting" tour of yours?"

"What makes you think you're invited to the power plant?" Rikuo demanded.

"Oh, I'm not interested in the power plant anymore. And I'll deal with the Baku if it crosses my path, but presently I have some far more _enticing_ business to look into." Tamazuki replied. He leapt effortlessly onto the second floor balcony of the hotel and glanced briefly down the hall.

"Stay away from Kana, Tamazuki! I mean it!" Rikuo ordered.

The tanuki put his hands on his hips and looked down at Rikuo, a mischievous, Cheshire cat grin on his face. "Or you'll _what_?" He taunted. In a flurry of leaves, Tamazuki disappeared.

Rikuo sighed heavily and trudged back to his room. When he arrived, he realized that the door was slightly ajar. At first he suspected that Kana had come looking for him, but then he noticed that the air conditioning unit was set to the coldest temperature that it would maintain. Fast asleep in the chair across from his bed was Tsurara. Despite the fact that she wore her usual yokai form, her fingers were closed around her yellow cashmere scarf, that distinctive piece of her "human disguise".

Rikuo sighed heavily. Even after he'd nearly brought her to tears with his accusations, Tsurara had diligently returned to her post as his protector.

Even if she was officially his bodyguard, Rikuo didn't feel comfortable with the idea of letting a girl spend the night sleeping in a chair that wasn't even comfortable to sit in.

Taking special care not to wake Tsurara, Rikuo slowly lifted her out of the chair. It surprised him how small and fragile she felt. He set her into the bed that had been meant for him and sat down in the chair to keep watch.

Some time before dawn, he surrendered to sleep himself.


	6. Chapter 6

"Again?" Kiyotsugu groaned.

The sound of familiar laughter roused Rikuo from sleep and he peered through the blinds of his hotel room to see what was going on. Across the courtyard, the lights were on in Kiyotsugu's room and his door was propped open, letting in the cool night air. There were a number of people gathered inside and Rikuo guessed that one of them was Awashima from his/her abrasive cackling. But what were his subordinates doing in Kiyotsugu's room?

Rikuo decided to have a look. Picking up Nenekirimaru and resting the blade over his shoulder as he usually did, he took comfort in the familiar feel of his weapon. Then he quietly slipped out of his room and closed the door very carefully so that the sound would not disturb Tsurara, who was still fast asleep.

Outside, the whirring and chirping of insects was punctuated by a sudden sharp rattle and Rikuo smiled as he noticed a little kodama perched in one of the sakura trees. The kodama nodded in his direction but did not scurry away, content to sit and soak up the moonlight. Such forest spirits were very shy and normally humans never saw them. Despite the fact that he was currently powerless, Rikuo's ability to perceive the Night World was unhindered. In a way, that made what the Baku had done to him more difficult to accept. It would have been far easier to ignore the spirits if he were incapable of seeing them. Two shachihoko cast their shadows across the moon and then disappeared into the inky blackness of the star-filled sky.

The rain spirits didn't seem alarmed and Rikuo guessed that they were only doing as they had been instructed to and watching from above for any signs of the Baku.

The sun hadn't yet risen but a lavender glow on the horizon warned him that dawn was coming soon.

Rikuo sighed wistfully as he imagined riding on the back of the wind high above Tokyo. Summer was such a wonderful season for mischief and he felt as though he'd already missed too many promising nights. It was difficult to believe that he'd lost his Fear only six days past. Years ago, Rikuo had convinced himself that he would be happier if he were completely mortal. He'd nearly sworn away his inheritance once and had pretended for a very long time that he could not remember what he did as his Night self so that no one would expect him to deal with important yokai matters. But so much had changed in the last five years!

Rikuo noticed that Kana's light was still on and he considered going to check on her but decided against it. Until he had worked out something to say, any meeting between the two of them would only be awkward and uncomfortable. He paused for a moment and watched koi swimming in a little pond. The way the fish interacted with one another made him think of the reunited members of the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol. Though he saw Jiro at school every day and Kiyotsugu was impossible to ignore because he was on television, Rikuo could not remember the last time he'd actually spoken to any of the girls. After she'd left for America, Rikuo hadn't even thought to try to contact Kana, and the only time he dealt with Yura was when yokai matters became serious enough that he had to call on the Keikain onmyoji to assist his Nura Clan. Saori and Natsumi were so busy with their new, grown-up lives and seeing them reminded Rikuo of how near he was to finishing school himself.

In yokai terms, Rikuo had already been an adult for a very long time. But becoming an adult in the sunlit world still seemed very strange to him. Tamazuki's comments about Tsurara and Kana left him feeling especially conflicted.

Which of them did he want? The tanuki had certainly implied that he liked both of them as more than friends... and maybe that was true.

Before he'd departed on his "adventure", Rikuo's grandfather Nurarihyon had commented as he often did that Rikuo ought to "steal himself a princess" or at least find a girlfriend. Of course, Rikuo had gone on his share of dates already... everyone at Azabu High School would have started whispering about him if he avoided girls completely. But after the mess with Mizumi, Rikuo knew that he was done going out with girls simply because they were pretty and they hounded after him. Rikuo reasoned that he wasn't like Tamazuki, only looking to have a little 'fun'. His life was dangerous and it always would be. He needed someone that he could trust _completely_.

And if he was to pursue someone he truly cared about, someone that he already had so much history with, Rikuo had to be sure that he was making the right decision. He knew he'd never forgive himself for hurting Kana or Tsurara, but if he did confess that he cared for one of them, what would that do to the other girl?

Rikuo sighed heavily. He knew that he had a long day ahead of him and probably an even longer night filming the 100th episode special of "Paranormal Experts" at the Shikoku Power Plant. Still, he couldn't resist the urge to see what was going on in Kiyotsugu's room.

He stopped just outside of the door where the shadows could hide him. Without his Fear, Rikuo couldn't actually disappear, but he could use his wits to make himself difficult to see. Inside of Kiyotsugu's room, Kiyotsugu and Jiro were sitting with three of his subordinates playing a game that Rikuo remembered very well. Both Jiro and Kiyotsugu were missing their shirts and had playing cards stuck to their heads. The floor was littered with empty sake bottles. Aotabo, Kurotabo, and Awashima were all wearing very serious expressions despite how ridiculous they looked. The yokai were armed to the teeth and obviously prepared to fight if they should have to, but they also had playing cards on their heads.

Rikuo surveyed the game. Jiro had a Snow Maiden, a middling level card worth five points, and Aotabo had a centipede spirit, worth four points. Kurotabo's Tengu at seven points might have won the round, but Awashima had Gyuki, and he was worth eight. Kiyotsugu's card was Natto, the only card he ever seemed to draw... and worth only one point.

Jiro was the first to break focus, and when he started laughing, all of the players looked at their cards except for Kiyotsugu. Kiyotsugu only stared at the sake bottle he was holding as if it were beginning to worry him a little. From the flush on Jiro's face, Rikuo guessed that the sake had been flowing freely for a long while.

Of course, none of his subordinates were as drunk as his human friends were. Awashima looked the worst, but Rikuo gathered that was largely due to his/her tendency to drink even when she wasn't losing. Even as the threat of the Baku still loomed, Rikuo hadn't really expected Aotabo and Kurotabo to remain stone-cold sober and well-behaved. As he saw it, it was enough that they'd stayed near enough to protect the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol despite the irresistible lure of the hot-blooded night.

"Hah! Drink up, human!" Awashima crowed, waving his/her Gyuki card in Kiyotsugu's face. Yokai poker was a simple game to play. The cards of the greatest value had pictures of high-ranking yokai on them. It had taken a long time for Jiro, Saori, and Kana to memorize all of the point values of the cards when Kiyotsugu had taught them the game back in Junior High. Rikuo had pretended to struggle with understanding its complexity himself, at least until he started winning every round he played. At the time, his uncanny luck had baffled Kiyotsugu. Of course, in those days his friend hadn't known that he was the Third Heir of the Nura Clan and that his grandfather was actually Nurarihyon The Supreme Commander, the highest-value card in Kiyotsugu's little game.

"You're cheating!" Kiyotsugu protested. "You're using your yokai powers!"

"You only say that because you're losing. Look at your card, big-time television star! You gotta finish off that bottle!" Aotabo informed him.

"Agh! Natto again? How are you all so good at this game?" Kiyotsugu groaned.

"All yokai are _masters_ of gambling!" Kurotabu replied.

"And _cheating_." Rikuo smirked, making his presence known. Kiyotsugu jumped and Jiro started laughing like a hyena before falling backwards out of his chair.

"Your friend is really bad at this." Aotabo informed Rikuo as Kiyotsugu took his obligatory drink.

"I've never seen anyone enjoy losing so much." Kurotabo added. Several cards fell out of one of his voluminous sleeves, which normally contained hundreds of weapons. He looked mildly embarrassed.

"You _were _cheating!" Kiyotsugu gasped.

"Uh, _yokai_?" Awashima laughed, gesturing to his/her self. "What did you expect? Aren't you supposed to be some sort of "paranormal expert"?" She/he teased, shoving Kiyotsugu.

"Shouldn't you get some sleep before your big show?" Rikuo demanded, taking the sake bottle from Kiyotsugu.

"We're not starting filming until four pm!" Kiyotsugu scoffed. "I'll be fine!"

Rikuo avoided voicing his doubts on the matter. He only rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, play a round with us!" Awashima insisted.

Rikuo sighed heavily and say down. Though his gaze still drifted back in the direction of his own room, he reasoned that a short game couldn't hurt, especially since he usually won as many rounds of yokai poker as Kiyotsugu lost.

Rikuo drew his card and smiled slightly as he glanced at everyone else. He knew them all so well that it was not difficult for him to catch their tells, Both Kiyotsugu and Jiro gave him a familiar exasperated look and he did not need to see his own card to know that he'd drawn Nurarihyon.

Awashima gleefully drank the loser's cup and Rikuo turned his card over in his hands several times, his thoughts drifting to his grandfather once again. The old man had chosen a terrible time to go missing and until Karasu Tengu or _someone _reported in to the main house with news, he was going to worry. He simply couldn't help it, especially considering what Gyuki had already told him about the Baku. Because he was part human, the Baku couldn't devour him completely. But to a pure-blooded yokai who was solely a creature of illusion, the dream eater was far more dangerous.

Rikuo won three more rounds and drank two cups of sake himself to be polite. Then he decided to go back to bed, taking the remainder of the sake with him so that his subordinates would be encouraged to sober up. The sun had finally cleared the foothills of the mountains and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day.

Still, Rikuo knew better than to trust the appearances of things. A clear sky didn't mean that there was no trouble afoot, only that it hadn't emerged _yet._ The red sake cup he was still sipping reminded him of his cherry blossom fire. He'd first come to understand the technique by staring into the pond in the courtyard of the Nura Clan's main house. The key to manipulating his Fear had been understanding inherently what the source of his power was.

The dream-eating Baku wanted to devour him, his grandfather, and likely all of the tanuki as well because of what they all had in common. Some yokai and little gods drew their strength from the belief or fear of mortals while others thrived on blood and pain. But Nurarihyon's nebulous nature had made him impossible to fight against and earned him the admiration of many other yokai. He'd crowned himself "Lord of Pandemonium" and it was a title that he deserved too. No yokai could aspire to cause more mischief than one who was literally a walking dream, capable of shifting back and forth between physical form and empty air. Like the reflection of the courtyard trees he saw in his cup of sake, Rikuo knew that his Night self and Day self were perfect mirrors of one another. But which was real and which was the illusion was something he was no longer sure of.

Rikuo blew softly on his cup of sake and was startled by the sudden appearance of a tiny blue spark of fire. Without his Fear, he should not have been able to work such magic. Fearing that the elusive Baku had returned yet again, he drew his exorcist blade halfway from it sheath. As he whirled around to strike at the monster he felt certain was behind him, the little red bowl struck the stones of the courtyard, shattering to pieces as Nenekirimaru cleaved empty air.

Rikuo was alone.

He sheathed his sword. It was morning, and since he couldn't make himself invisible, he really needed to change into some modern clothes and put his sword away. The way many yokai dressed was reminiscent of feudal Japan and most people didn't wear such clothing any more, except on festival days or if the worked at a shrine or temple.

Two white vans from the television station had pulled up in front of the hotel and Kiyotsugu's camera men were unloading all kinds of very technical-looking equipment that Rikuo couldn't fathom the purpose of. Looking unusually perky for such an early hour, Kiyotsugu's co-host Chiaki carried a very large cup of coffee in one hand and a clipboard in the other.

Rikuo smiled slightly. He'd put Kiyotsugu to bed less than an hour ago and he guessed that his friend would be thoroughly miserable... and probably still drunk when his producer came to wake him up.

Curious locals and dedicated "Paranormal Experts" fans stood behind a line of security tape, snapping pictures with their cell phones and whispering to one another. A Junior High student in a local uniform with a laptop, headphones, a loaded-down backpack bursting with obscure research material, and a web camera attached to his head waved furiously for Chiaki's attention. Rikuo smiled slightly. The kid looked just like Kiyotsugu five years ago.

The Paranormal Experts crew were not the only ones up and about so early, however. Rikuo noticed that the housekeepers were at work in Yura's room which meant that the onmyoji and her young apprentice had already left the hotel. But where had they gone so early in the morning?

Deciding that a change of clothes could wait, Rikuo followed a paved path that snaked through the trees behind the hotel. He came to a stop at the top of a little hill. In the clearing up ahead, Yura was training her apprentice to summon bound spirits loyal to the Keikain family, known as shikigami.

Though Rikuo would not have risked startling Yura if it was still night and he'd still possessed his Fear, as a mere mortal he knew he was not especially vulnerable to her exorcist powers. Still, she was a very intimidating little woman. Tanro, the huge white spirit wolf that stood behind her like an obedient dog reminded him that Yura was not only an onmyoji, but a prodigy by any standards, able to summon three or four bound spirits at the same time and even invoke the legendary Hagun, an enormously powerful ghostly council composed of every former head of the Keikain family.

Her apprentice, however, did not seem nearly so adept. He was breathing heavily and fumbling for one of his sloppy, over-inked prayer strips which promptly exploded in his face in a sudden but harmless burst of white smoke.

Rikuo laughed despite himself, calling attention to his presence. He was immediately met by a snarling Tanro, but the shikigami did not frighten him.

"Back off, fuzzy!" He reprimanded, pushing the wolf away from him with Nenekirimaru, still sheathed.

Yura groaned as she saw who had disturbed her training session and revoked her summoned spirit. Her apprentice stared at Rikuo in disbelief. Though it was morning and the Baku was still gallivanting around with Rikuo's stolen Fear, there was no Keikain exorcist who wouldn't recognize the sword Nenekirimaru and know that its bearer was the Third Heir of the Nura Clan. Of course, to combat the morning chill, Rikuo was also wearing his dark blue hapi coat which bore the kanji for "Fear" in white. The Nura Clan's insignia was widely recognized in paranormal circles, largely because every onmyoji and supernormal investigator knew that Nura Rikuo would not permit his followers to harm humans.

"You're Nura Rikuo?" Yura's apprentice whispered in awe.

Rikuo gave the young onmyoji a slightly condescending look, the sort that he generally reserved for one of his more useless subordinates. He didn't have anything against the little yokai and knew better than to treat them badly, but sometimes the way they practically worshipped him could be awfully annoying.

"Are shikigami supposed to explode like that?" Rikuo teased, knowing full-well that Yura could not tolerate failure. The training regiment that she put herself through was as grueling as his own and Rikuo could not imagine Yura going soft on her apprentice. An onmyoji who did not perfect his or her craft did not live long. Hunting yokai was dangerous business. Still, the look on Yura's face suggested that she was embarrassed that Rikuo had caught her apprentice failing so spectacularly.

"What would you know about shikigami, demon?" Yura snorted, annoyed. Since Yura had learned that Rikuo was a yokai himself, their relationship had been slightly tenuous. They still got along and worked together when necessary, but Rikuo could not resist lobbing a few "silly little exorcist" jabs in her directions, just as Yura sometimes called him "evil" or threatened to seal him under a great big rock somewhere.

"I'm not a yokai any more." He reminded her. "Or haven't you heard?"

"You may not be have your Fear, but that doesn't make you a candidate for sainthood, Oh-Lord-of-Pandemonium." Yura retorted.

"Don't patronize me, onmyoji!" Rikuo smirked. "I'll send my subordinates to raid your kitchen!"

"That's an awfully big threat from a powerless demon." Yura replied, her hands on her hips.

"I'm not what you expected, am I?" Rikuo smiled slightly, glancing at the apprentice onmyoji. The boy's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open in an 'o', like a fish gaping for its last breath.

"Well, you're dressed like you fell out of a samurai movie, but you look so normal!" He recovered with very little grace. "You even wear glasses!"

"Lots of people wear glasses." Rikuo shrugged.

"I've heard that you're completely human during the day and a yokai only at night." The apprentice onmyoji continued. "It seems impossible to believe."

"Believe it." Yura replied. "I've known Rikuo for years and I never suspected that he was a yokai when I met him. As a yokai, he's totally different." She finished, obviously searching for better words.

Rikuo chafed slightly at that description. Though he'd once tried very hard to separate his Night and Day selves, it had begun to annoy him that some of his subordinates regarded him as less capable and even less intelligent when he was in his human form. Likewise, Yura regarded his Night form with hostility, as if she believed that he might even turn on her, which was something he would never do.

Sometimes he cursed himself for ever perpetuating the idea that he was two different individuals sharing one body. For a time, when his power was still new to him, he'd felt that way and even gone so far to have "conversations" with his yokai self. Now, trying to convince everyone that he _was _the same person regardless of which form he wore was just plain irritating.

"I'm not different. I'm _always _Rikuo. But have you ever had just a little bit too much to drink?" Rikuo paused, not really expecting that Yura would understand. She was not the kind of person to overindulge in anything, although Rikuo did recall that she had a weakness for sweets.

"That's what being yokai feels like. It doesn't make me do anything I really don't want to do. I'd never hurt you or let you get hurt, you already know that! But at night my reactions are a lot quicker, and some things just seem... more fun?" Rikuo paused. "It's kind of a rush. But I'm not 'out of control'. Fear is like any supernatural ability. You onmyoji should understand. It's not just something you learn, it's also what you _are_. The source of my power is illusion. I can _be _what others believe I am. But to some extent, I actually _have to _live up to their expectations. With my Hyakki Yagyo behind me, I'm the Lord of Pandemonium. Without them, I'm..." Rikuo sighed in exasperation. "What you see." He finished, gesturing to himself.

"Oh, but don't you understand! What an opportunity this is for you!" The boy exclaimed. "You're finally free of that evil taint! You could live a normal life!"

Rikuo stared at Yura's apprentice for a long moment. The boy clearly believed what he was saying and Rikuo realized that years ago, he might have agreed with the young onmyoji's sentiments.

"The Nura Clan is my responsibility." He replied stiffly. "I'm not leaving my subordinates leaderless at a time like this so that the Baku can pick them off one by one!"

"You really care about them?" The boy observed. "That very un-yokai like."

"If you actually think that, you've got _a lot_ to learn about yokai!" Rikuo laughed.

"So what are you doing here?" Yura wondered. "I thought for sure you would be checking out the power plant before the show tonight." She admitted.

"And I expected you would be there banishing my security." Rikuo paused.

"We were just on our way, weren't we Keisuke?" Yura turned to her apprentice.

"But I thought I wasn't allowed to go within a kilometer of..." He trailed off into silence. "Oh." The boy observed, realizing belatedly that Yura had meant for him to bluff.

"Why don't we all go together?" Rikuo suggested. "Someone had best check things out before Kiyotsugu's camera men arrive."

"What use are you without your evil tricks?" Yura demanded.

"I think you know the answer to that." Rikuo tapped his exorcist blade.

"Yokai." Yura said to her apprentice, as if that one word explained everything. It usually did.

The old Shikoku power plant was an enormous building made of sand-colored brick stained with soot from a huge fire many years ago that had not quite succeeded in burning the place down. Square factory windows of frosted glass made it impossible to see what cast the strange shadows inside. The roof had begun to cave in and the smell of mold was strong and unmistakable. Even if there were no yokai inhabiting the ruin of a building, everyone who went inside would still have to watch for unstable floors and possibly even some wiring that could still spark. The whole grounds were surrounded by a tall fence with a coil of barbed wire run across the top. The main gate was locked with a padlock that looked like a solid ball of rust. A sign read "Do Not Enter - Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted"".

Rikuo, Yura, and her apprentice could not get very close to the building without climbing the fence. Content to observe the building from a good distance away, Keisuke stood with his hands in his pockets as Yura fiddled with the old padlock. Rikuo walked the perimeter, counting all of the yokai he glimpsed hiding in the trees nearby. Despite Inugamigyobu's orders, most of the eighty-eight demons of Shikoku were lingering in the forest surrounding the power plant. Not that Rikuo was particularly surprised.

The temptation of terrifying the wits out of two of the most notorious "paranormal experts" in Japan was irresistible for any yokai. Rikuo had even succumbed to it himself and it was obvious to him that the trees were filled with swarms of mischievous tanuki already placing bets on whose pranks would prove most terrifying.

Keisuke jumped as Yura called for him to follow her around back and look for another entrance. Apparently the lock on the gate had proven too stubborn for her to sort it out. Rikuo sighed heavily, watching the young onmyoji. If just hearing the whispers of the little tanuki in the trees scared him, he was a pretty worthless student. Then again, Rikuo reasoned that maybe it wasn't fair to judge Keisuke by the same standards he applied to Yura. Most onmyoji trained their whole lives and never became as powerful as she was. An onmyoji in training had a lot to worry about. Even the Nura Clan's most honourable yokai sometimes reacted violently when a human attempted to seal or banish them. And plenty of masterless or bloody-minded yokai killed exorcists simply for the fun of it.

Sometimes Rikuo forgot that. He followed after Yura and her apprentice as they went into the forest.

The sound of mischievous giggling filled the trees. Keisuke jumped out of his skin as something brushed his shoulder and Rikuo instinctively seized the daring tanuki, which became visible in a flurry of leaves. In its natural form, the tanuki was not a very intimidating creature, only a little larger than an ordinary house cat. The black mask around the tanuki's eyes made it look a bit like a bandit from an American Western and that seemed particularly appropriate. Tanuki were naturally inclined to be troublemakers.

The little tanuki gave Rikuo a sheepish grin and Keisuke stared in disbelief at the revealed yokai. He might have mistaken the creature for an ordinary animal if it hadn't been wearing a distinctive hachimaki headband emblazoned with the kanji for "Shikoku Strike Team".

"You are _not _supposed to be here!" Rikuo scolded the creature.

The tanuki wormed its way free of his grasp and bolted off into the forest. All of the other yokai in the trees scattered, shrieking in terror.

Rikuo instinctively reached for his sword and Yura drew a summoning strip from her little purse.

"Is my eighty-ninth little brother giving you trouble, Nura Rikuo?" Tamazuki wondered.

Tamazuki's sudden appearance caused Yura to summon her first shikigami and her hapless apprentice to faint dead away. Not that Rikuo blamed Keisuke. He felt his own heart skip a beat as he saw the figure standing behind him.

Tanro growled.

Tamazuki had opted not to don his usual human guise. Instead of a thin-faced young man with over- combed hair dressed in a indeterminate school uniform, he appeared like a character from a kabuki play, clad in white and red Chinese silks, an ostentatious purple and gold long coat, straw sandals and a fine katana and wakazashi within easy reach. Tamazuki was tall enough that he could have been mistaken for a man, but the mask that he normally wore when he wanted to frighten the wits out of someone hung loosely around his neck, tied with an emerald green ribbon. He wore a hachimaki headband himself, holding back his long white hair which read 'Shikoku Strike Team Captain'. The markings on his face, his eyes, and his furry, twitching 'tanuki' ears made it very obvious that he was _not _completely human.

"Keeping company with onmyoji, are you?" Tamazuki observed, glancing at Yura with obvious distaste.

"What are you playing at, Tamazuki?" Rikuo demanded. "You know how serious this situation is!"

"My siblings and I are going to ambush and kill the Baku when it appears." Tamazuki replied, gesturing to his headband. "Which I think is only fair, considering that it wants to eat all of us."

"And your father knows about this plan of yours?" Rikuo pressed, though simply mentioning Inugamigyobu earned him a black look from Tamazuki. The tanuki did not like to admit that he wasn't the most powerful yokai in Shikoku and often seemed to chafe under all of his father's rules.

"It's not my plan." Tamazuki replied, sounding irritated. "It's your grandfather's."

Rikuo jumped at the mention of Nurarihyon. "You've seen him?" He pressed.

"He's at a shrine not far from here, boozing with the local god." Tamazuki replied. "Want me to take you there?"

Rikuo smiled slightly. That certainly sounded like Nurarihyon! Knowing that he was so close to finding his grandfather, he felt invigorated. Though Gyuki had told him that he needed to slay the Baku in order to take his Fear back, maybe his grandfather would know of another way? He was sure he could make short work of the monster if he could fight it the way that he preferred to, with all of his strength and the force of his Night Parade behind him. Considering everything that had happened in the past few days, Rikuo certainly wanted to have a few words with his grandfather.

"Rikuo?" Yura whispered, sounding uncertain. "I'm not sure about this..."

"I know you don't like Tamazuki, Yura." Rikuo replied. That was an understatement... the tanuki _had _tried to kill Yura more than once before. "But the Nura Clan is formally allied with Eighty-Eight demons of Shikoku now. And Tamazuki may be Inugamigyobu's favorite son, but when it comes to magic, his old man can still whip him. He won't misbehave." He informed her.

"You sound just like my father." Tamazuki snorted with distaste. Even still, there was a slight smile on his face.

They approached the shrine Tamazuki had mentioned. It looked run down and there was no sign of the spirit that had formerly inhabited it. Rikuo froze as he noticed that the blessed ropes which had been wrapped around several trees had been cut down.

Then he realized what it was that actually had made Yura feel uneasy.

The forest was far too quiet. He could hear Tamazuki close by him, suddenly breathing heavily.

There was something very wrong.

"Tamazuki, if this is my grandfather's plan to stop the Baku and your siblings are in on this... why did they all run away from us?" Rikuo wondered.

The tanuki did not respond.

"Rikuo!" Yura gasped.

Rikuo drew Nenekirimaru in one swift motion, but not fast enough. The blade fell from his grasp as Tamazuki plunged his wakazashi between Rikuo's ribs. The tanuki's face shifted and changed, leaving Rikuo gasping for breath and clutching the blade in his chest.

He stared up at his Night self.

It had taken him a long time to stop fearing that face, and for a moment he had to remind himself that it was not his own reflection but the Baku's mask that he saw. Tanro leapt at the Baku and Yura quickly summoned two more shikigami. Rikuo reached for Nenekirimaru despite the pain that seized in his chest when he tried to move. He felt the hilt of the sword and closed his fingers around it, lashing out wildly at the Baku just as the monster began to change forms again.

He could not tell if it was resuming its true form or changing its face to use Tamazuki's stolen Fear. All Rikuo could think was that the monster had surely killed his old enemy whom he had just started to call 'friend'. The Baku threw off Tanro and turned just in time for Rikuo to catch it with the tip of Nenekimaru.

Fear bled uncontrollably off of the monster, pouring from the little wound inflicted by his exorcist blade.

The Baku howled in pain and bolted, two of Yura's shikigami pursuing it as it went crashing through the trees.

Rikuo slowly came to his knees. Despite the fact that he'd been stabbed and was still bleeding, he felt stronger than he had before. His blood burned in his veins and he slowly reached up and brushed a lock of stark white hair out of his eyes.

Yura's apprentice gasped and Rikuo did not need to see his own reflection to know what he looked like.

Despite the fact that it was early morning and the sun was still high in the sky, he'd assumed his Night form. Still, he could feel his Fear quickly ebbing away as the Baku fled. The power he'd stolen back by wounding the beast obviously wouldn't last long and he needed to make the most of it. He turned to Yura's apprentice.

"Run all the way back to the hotel and tell _everyone_ what just happened!" He ordered. "Tell my subordinates to go straight to Inugamigyobu _now_!"

Keisuke nodded obediently. Even if he was a poor exorcist, it seemed that he was a fairly quick runner and once his message reached the hotel, Rikuo knew that his bodyguards would be rushing to his aid. He was sure that Kurotabo would follow the orders he'd been given to the letter, as would Awashima, who'd formerly been a Toono mercenary. But Tsurara only obeyed him if she knew that he was able to protect himself, and if she caught wind of the fact that Rikuo was going after the Baku who'd _also_ stolen Tamazuki's Fear with only Yura for backup, no orders would keep her from running to his side.

That was a good thing, he suspected... because there was a chance he might really need her help.

Rikuo glanced over his shoulder at Yura who was watching him with suspicion and smiled slightly. "Follow me, onmyoji!" He winked. "If you _can!_"

Without a moment's hesitation, he took off running.


	7. Chapter 7

As he raced through the trees in pursuit of the Baku, Rikuo could feel his Fear waning. Trading blows with the monster, he noticed that its Tamazuki appearance had begun to flicker and fade. Was the Baku losing the tanuki's Fear somehow, just as Rikuo seemed to be losing his own?

Maybe Tamazuki was still alive! Could that be why the Baku was unable to hold its stolen Fear?

Clinging to that hope, Rikuo leapt down from the trees, his Nenekirimaru striking the Baku's sword. Sparks filled the air as their blades collided.

So close to the monster, Rikuo seized onto his own Fear and ripped it free from the Baku. A flash of blue fire arced between the two of them. The Baku tried to grab hold of Rikuo and he dispersed into shadow. Like a walking dream, Rikuo reappeared silently behind the Baku and ran the monster through with one clean thrust. The wound he had given the Baku bled energy, and the power that was rightfully his flowed back into his body.

The Baku crumpled to the ground, losing its Tamazuki shape. For a moment it appeared like Rikuo, and then it resumed its true form. Though it had appeared impossibly huge when it had first been released from its seal underneath the old mansion, it was not much bigger than a man. With wrinkled skin like an elephant and sunken eyes, it did not look very frightening at all.

Even still, Rikuo raised his sword for a killing blow. A swirl of cherry blossoms and blue fire rose up all around him. The Baku cowered and whimpered, but Rikuo did not hesitate. He struck.

A strange reverberating silence suddenly filled the clearing, and Rikuo gasped as he realized that someone had stopped his blade. The stranger was dressed all in black and carried a silver monk's staff with long black chains instead of the usual rings dangling from it. He had a very thin, pale face, long black hair, and piercing dark eyes that seemed to reflect no light at all. Without a doubt, he was a yokai... but one that Rikuo had never encountered before.

"I think not." The yokai smiled slightly. It was not a nice smile. "This one is mine."

The Baku turned very slowly and its eyes widened in terror as it saw who had come for it.

"No! No! Kill me!" The Baku howled. "Nura Rikuo, please kill me now!"

The monk's chains moved as if they had a mind of their own and bound the Baku hand and foot.

Rikuo drew away from the Baku slowly and stared at the newcomer.

The dream-eating Baku was obviously very powerful and cunning, but it was a single-minded creature and obviously not the sort of yokai capable of leading others. Without stealing Fear, it had hardly any power at all! Rikuo stared at the pathetic Baku. If the ugly creature were not a danger to Inugamigyobu's little children, he wouldn't even consider it worth killing!

Why hadn't it occurred to him before that the Baku must have a master of its own?

"Who are you?" He wondered uneasily. He'd been so intent on seeking his own revenge against the Baku that he hadn't even stopped to consider that the situation he was involved in might be more complicated than it seemed.

"You can call me 'Himitsu'." The stranger replied. "And I thank you for your efforts in subduing this errant yokai, but your assistance is no longer necessary. My master will punish his own disobedient subordinates."

Rikuo frowned slightly. It was obviously an alias of some kind. "Himitsu" meant "secret" and it was not the proper name of any yokai he had ever heard of.

"Help me, Nura Rikuo! Don't let him have me!" The Baku howled as Himitsu seized it by the back of the neck and began to drag it away. The black chains constricted as the Baku struggled. It said nothing more but only stared at Rikuo as if it still hoped he would do something.

"Give me one good reason why I should defend you!" Rikuo snapped. "You tried to kill me, and you tried to kill my friends!" He gritted his teeth, remembering all too clearly the expression on Tsurara's face when the Baku had seized her. Causing her such pain was unforgivable!

And yet at the same time, there was something undeniably sinister about Himitsu. It was a feeling that Rikuo recognized, the same sort of chill he'd gotten the first time he crossed swords with Abe no Seimei. Still, he turned to walk away... at least until Yura caught up with him, riding on the back of her wolf shikigami, Tanro. Tanro watched Himitsu and gave a low growl.

"What's going on?" Yura wondered uneasily.

'The Baku's master has come to punish it." Rikuo explained. That was the situation as he understood it anyway. Being the leader of a yokai clan himself, he understood that it wasn't his place to get between another yakuza boss and one of his subordinates. Though he still wanted to finish off the Baku himself, there was nothing more he could do.

"I don't know. Something isn't right here. I don't like this." Yura whispered, scratching Tanro behind the ears. The shikigami still growled and bristled. "Neither does Tanro." Yura added, as if that wasn't obvious.

But it was too late to do anything. When the two of them looked up, both Himitsu and the Baku were gone as if they'd never been.

"Let's go on to Inugamigyobu." Rikuo suggested.

Not wasting any time, the two soon reached the home of the 88 demons of Shikoku. A dozen tanuki with little spears made from sharpened tree branches and "Shikoku Strike Team" headbands stood guard around the gates of Inugamigyobu's sacred grove. They shouted battle cries and charged as they caught sight of Rikuo.

"Take it easy!" Rikuo held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's me, Rikuo!"

The tanuki were undeterred. Two of them took a bolo rope and tied Rikuo's feet together. Another pelted him with rocks.

"Ow! Ow!" Rikuo protested.

"He's not the Baku!" Yura laughed as the little tanuki seized Rikuo's hair and knocked him flat on his back. They stomped on his chest and jabbed him repeatedly.

"Oh yeah? And why should we trust an onmyoji?" One of the tanuki demanded. Rikuo noticed that it was wearing the same "Shikoku Strike Team Captain" hachimaki headband he'd seen the Baku wearing earlier when it had been posing as Tamazuki.

"It's all right." Tamazuki laughed. "That's the real Nura Rikuo. Eighty-ninth little brother, you can let him go."

Rikuo looked up slowly. Tamazuki looked battered and pale. He leaned on his katana as if it were a cane, and his right arm was put up in a sling. But he was alive, and from the looks of things, his Hachijuhakki Yagyo was well-prepared to defend Shikoku against any intruders.

"I could feel it when you defeated the Baku." Tamazuki admitted. "You must have cut it with Nenekirimaru. I still remember what it's like to take a wound from that blade." Tamazuki smiled slightly, rubbing the scar on his face. It was a reminder of the fight he'd had with Rikuo many years ago.

"I was worried you were dead." Rikuo admitted.

"No reason to worry about this one." Inugamigyobu Danuki laughed, putting an enormous paw on his son's shoulder. Tamazuki winced.

"Come in, let us tend to your wound!" One of the female tanuki volunteered. Rikuo obediently followed her into Inugamigyobu's grove and stripped off the top layer of his clothing so that she could bandage him. As he sat down, another tanuki poured him sake. Tamazuki and Inugamigyobu took their usual places across from him.

Yura banished Tanro. The tanuki boss shook the ground as he sat down and gave a wicked, mischievous smirk. "Come sit beside me, onmyoji." He said to Yura. "It is very comfortable."

Though she disliked most yokai on principle, Yura was too polite to refuse such a request in someone's home. She sat down next to Inugamigyobu and his mischievous smirk turned into a very broad grin.

"It is very comfortable." Yura admitted. "I could almost fall asleep right here."

"Oh yes." Inugamigyobu agreed. "Nice and cozy, isn't it?"

All of the little tanuki giggled. Yura looked confused.

Rikuo felt his face beginning to burn.

He wanted to warn Yura about the awful mistake she'd just made, but it was too embarrassing!

Really, she should have known better than to expect that a whole clan of trickster tanuki would welcome an onmyoji into their home without playing some sort of trick!

"How are you feeling, Rikuo-sama?" Inugamigyobu asked.

"Much better." Rikuo nodded. He had resumed his "Day" form as he was being bandaged, but he could still feel his Fear churning in his veins and knew that when the sun went down, he would be in full command of his powers once again. "Have my subordinates come yet, Inugamigyobu-sama?" He asked.

"Not yet." Inugamigyobu admitted. "I hope they did not run into any trouble."

"Well, as soon as your daughter finishes taking care of my wounds, I'm going to go look for them in the forest." Rikuo admitted. "I appreciate your hospitality, but I don't want to leave Tsurara and the others searching for me and worrying when I'm perfectly fine."

"So you are." Inugamigyobu observed. "I am impressed that you fared so well, Rikuo-sama, fighting a yokai with such a reputation." He admitted. "These days I sometimes forget how you handled Abe no Seimei and that mad Kyoto kitsune. I told Tamazuki to leave the Baku to you and your Nura clan. He refused to heed my warning, and now he has learned his lesson."

Tamazuki rolled his eyes. "It was stupid to go after the Baku alone." He sighed.

Rikuo smiled slightly. From the way Tamazuki recited those words, he suspected that Inugamigyobu had made him repeat them many times already.

"And how many times do I have to tell you?" Inugamigyobu scolded. "Son of mine, if a tanuki wants to impress a woman, this is _very _easy. All you have to do is..."

The little tanuki all giggled again.

"Stop!" Yura turned bright red. "Please! I don't want to hear this!"

Rikuo smiled slightly. He decided it was best not to tell the onmyoji what she was really sitting on.

"There is something else you should know, Inugamigyobu-sama." Rikuo admitted. "The Baku isn't dead. A strange yokai came to take it away. He said that it was one of his master's subordinates and that his master wanted to punish it."

"Hm." Inugamigyobu nodded. "Well, you were right not to interfere. You may be the boss of all Kanto, but one yakuza commander should not get in the habit of disciplining another's subordinates."

"Have you ever heard of a yokai who calls himself "Himitsu"?" Rikuo wondered. "Or who the Baku's master might be?"

"I do not know." Inugamigyobu shook his head heavily. "But I will investigate. I would like to get to the bottom of this myself. If I were you, I would consider making a trip to Toono. Akagappa's mercenaries travel all over, and they have worked for everyone at one time or another. It is possible that they may know of the one you seek."

"All right! You're bandaged up, Rikuo-sama!" The tanuki woman informed him. "But please be careful!"

Rikuo slowly stood. "Ready to go, Yura?" He asked. "It must be close to noon already. Kiyotsugu and the others will probably be ready to start filming."

"The television show! I almost forgot!" Yura exclaimed. She jumped to her feet, and as she did, she threw out her left hand to steady herself. All of the color drained from her face as she realized what the "pillow" she'd been leaning against really was.

Inugamigyobu said nothing at all but only gave Yura a lecherous smirk.

Yura stared, an absolutely mortified expression on her face. "You... you evil yokai!" She gasped. Then she turned to Rikuo, her eyes narrowed and glittering like new steel.

"You! This is all your fault!" She snarled.

"Thanks for the sake, Inugamigyobu-sama!" Rikuo gave a little salute. "I'll see you again soon!" Without waiting for Yura to summon one of her shikigami, he took off running into the forest.

"Rikuo-sama!" Tsurara exclaimed. She was running in the opposite direction, obviously headed to find Rikuo herself. Aotabo, Kurotabo, and a large number of other yokai were following close behind her. "Is it the Baku?" She wondered fearfully.

"Worse!" Rikuo replied. He motioned for Aotabo and Kurotabo to lean closer to him and whispered what had happened.

Kurotabo paled. "Oh. Oh dear."

Aotabo whispered to Awashima who cackled. Rikuo smiled as he noticed that his old friend Itaku had made it down from Toono.

"Glad you could join us, Itaku." Rikuo nodded.

"I heard you needed help handling some weak Fear-stealing yokai." Itaku replied. "That's pretty pathetic for the Lord of Pandemonium! You should get your lazy butt back to Toono for more training!"

"You're right, Itaku. I've been slacking." Rikuo admitted. When he had first started learning to control his Fear, Itaku had been one of his teachers and he was a good yokai to have on hand for a fight. "But it's still good to see you."

"Likewise." Itaku nodded, leaping down from his perch.

Kubinashi casually followed after him, making a cat's cradle with his deadly red string. He and Kejoro froze where they stood as the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to shake.

The rest of the yokai all stared in disbelief at the onmyoji and her four charging shikigami.

"You horrible yokai!" Yura howled. "I'm going to get you for this!"

Itaku immediately reached for his deadly kamas, but Rikuo stopped him. "The Keikain onmyoji are Nura Clan allies." He explained. "Yura's upset right now, but she's not our enemy and she won't really hurt us."

"Are you sure?" Kubinashi wondered doubtfully as Yura's elephant shikigami picked up a tree and hurled it at him.

"Okay, maybe we should get out of her way!" Rikuo winced.

"Everybody, run!" Tsurara ordered.

The yokai scattered.

Forty minutes later, Rikuo and his subordinates reached the edge of the forest. All of the television crew vans and a huge crowd of "Paranormal Experts" fans were gathered around the fence surrounding the old Shikoku Power Plant, waiting in eager anticipation for Kiyotsugu to cut the rusted locks on the gate.

After chasing the yokai for miles, Yura banished all of her shikigami and shot Rikuo a paralyzing glare as she went to check on her sorry-looking apprentice, who was standing near Kiyotsugu and his co-host.

Tsurara, Aotabo, Kurotabo, Itaku and Awashima donned human guises while all the other yokai went to hide where they had been assigned. The chief duty of the Nura clan's retainers was to make sure that Kiyotsugu's television show was not disturbed, and with the threat of the Baku only recently passed, they were particularly vigilant.

In the forest, some of Inugamigyobu's children had gathered to watch the show and Rikuo blinked in surprise as Tamazuki stepped out of the trees, assuming his human disguise as well.

Tamazuki gave Tsurara a curious look and Rikuo remembered belatedly that Inugamigyobu had said something about Tamazuki wanting to impress a woman. Rikuo scowled. He didn't like what Tamazuki had implied about his relationship with Kana and Tsurara and he wasn't about to let the tanuki harass either of them.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Rikuo demanded.

"Feh! I'm fine! Besides, how could I miss all of this?" Tamazuki replied with a smirk. He jerked his thumb at a fan who was wearing a t-shirt showing Kiyotsugu's face. The kanji on the back of the fan's shirt read "I believe in yokai!"

"I know we're here to protect Kiyotsugu, but... can't we have a little fun, Rikuo-sama?" Tsurara begged.

She clung to his arm. Her hands were very cold as always, but there was something else in her touch as well. Their eyes met for a moment and Rikuo could feel the tattoos on his back burn slightly in response to her Fear. It wasn't Matoi, but Tsurara was making it very clear to him that he shouldn't have left her behind when he went after the Baku.

"I want to do something!" Tsurara informed him.

"Yeah!" Aotabo agreed, though he couldn't have understood what Tsurara really meant.

Sunset was still several hours off, and being in his Day form made Rikuo particularly aware of the Fear swirling all around him. His subordinates were an impressive lot, and sometimes he forgot how strong they really were. Having to stand against the Baku without his powers had been a good lesson for him. It was all too easy to forget that it was his Nura Clan that had made him Lord of Pandemonium.

He had to trust them as they trusted him – Tsurara especially.

"Well, it wouldn't be a good show if we didn't." Rikuo admitted with a slight smile.

"Excellent!" Awashima crowed. "So what's the plan, boss?"

The yokai gathered around Rikuo. He smiled at each familiar face. Itaku looked very serious as always. Kurotabo was clearly enjoying his "exceptional" human disguise and Aotabo was standing with his arms crossed. Awashima was clearly eager for a good fight. Though he pretended to be very cold and refined, Rikuo knew that Tamazuki was a troublemaker at heart and hoping for a little fun himself.

He smiled every so often when he thought no one was looking at him. Little sparks of frost danced around Tsurara's fingertips as she waited for Rikuo to give the word.

He didn't have the opportunity to propose a plan.

"Rikuo!" Kana exclaimed, running over to join the little gathering. "I haven't seen you all day!"

All of the yokai glanced at one another in confusion, not sure how to react to a human interrupting their mischief. Once again, Kana was dressed very fashionably. Rikuo noticed she was still carrying her ugly doll, a birthday gift that Kiyotsugu had given her in Junior High. Someone, probably Saori the aspiring fashion designer, had transformed it into a purse.

"I've been a little busy." Rikuo admitted.

"So who are your friends?" Kana wondered innocently.

"Well, you know Tsurara and Aotabo." Rikuo gestured to his subordinates. "And I think you've met Kurotabo, Itaku, and Awashima... oh, and... Tamazuki. He's um, working with us now?"

Tamazuki gave Kana a wink. "It's been a long time, pretty little human girl." He smirked.

"Uwaaa!" Kana gasped as she realized that she was completely surrounded by yokai. She stumbled back and Rikuo jumped forward to catch her arm before she tripped over a piece of broken concrete. "Rikuo, your friends are all demons!" She whispered fearfully.

"I know! Calm down, Kana!" Rikuo shook his head heavily. "They're here to keep everyone safe!" He explained. "Remember what happened at the restaurant?"

"I'm really sorry about that." Kana admitted. "I'm trying to be brave, I promise I am. It's just that it's been so many years and I... I suppose I sort of forgot what it was all like. You're still..."

"Still part yokai?" Rikuo sighed. "You know I always have been. But I'm also part human, Kana. You can trust me. And I know they scare you sometimes, but you can trust any yokai who wears this insignia. My clan won't hurt anyone. They know I won't allow it." Rikuo gestured to the white kanji for "Fear" on his coat. "Although... you should still be careful around Tamazuki. Tell me right away if he bothers you and I'll deal with him."

"I will." Kana nodded. "Thank you."

"Hey! Enough smooching, lovebirds!" Awashima scolded, seizing Rikuo by the back of his hapi coat. "They're starting the show!"

The yokai all turned to see where the camera men were standing, filming Kiyotsugu and Chiaki before the gates of the power plant. The reunited Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol quickly gathered behind them. The older girls and Jiro seemed comfortable being on camera, but Kana still looked very nervous. Tsurara shoved Rikuo into the frame and he slowly inched away from Yura who shot him a paralyzing glare.

Jiro eyed both Rikuo and Yura suspiciously. Saori and Natsume stood behind Yura and gave Rikuo very condescending looks. Then Jiro noticed Tsurara standing with her hands on her hips glaring at Kana, a cloud of dagger-like icicles forming from her breath. Kana paled.

"What did you do?" He hissed. "All of the girls are upset!"

"I didn't do anything! It wasn't my fault!" Rikuo protested.

Jiro looked doubtful, but before he could say anything else, Chiaki motioned for him to be quiet.

"All right, everyone!" Kiyotsugu announced, holding up a pair of bolt cutters for everyone to see. "Here we go! 100th episode of Paranormal Experts, begin!"

The rusted lock clattered to the ground and the fans all cheered.


	8. Chapter 8

You will notice that **I have moved this story.** Many people asked me to switch categories.

A warning: **_This chapter is very dark and creepy_**. I promise that before the story ends, I will resolve what has happened to Rikuo's grandfather and also the rivalry with Kana and Tsurara. As to who will get him... you'll have to keep reading.

**I'm sorry I so rarely update**, but I work a full-time job and sometimes I just don't have the energy to write.

There is a little shout-out to another of my favorite manga (Bleach) in this chapter. **This is NOT going to be a crossover! **(I just thought it would be fun to mention another "paranormal" television show that has a habit of causing trouble for characters with supernatural abilities...)

This story will be ending soon.** I want suggestions for a new story.** Some of my favorite anime/manga are Bleach, Slayers, Cowboy Beebop, Inuyasha, Samurai Champloo, Hellsing, Avatar (I know that's American) and of course, Nurarihyon no Mago. I also write fics for White Wolf games (VTM and Exalted) and Doctor Who. I watch lots of K-drama, but I prefer the historical themed ones. I may check out something new if you have ideas of shows I might like. ** I won't write Naruto, DBZ, Yugioh, or Pokemon - so don't even ask.**

Last but not least,** there are several things from Shinto and Buddhist mythology in this story. ** The internet will tell you plenty about dream eaters (Baku), corpse eaters (Jikininki), and Emma-o.

The film "Spirited Away" is loaded with Japanese folklore as is the book "Little Sister" by Kara Dalkey (I may have spelled the author's name wrong). It's an easy read if you can find it and well worth buying. It gave me the idea for this fic.

- Emerald Viper

* * *

A little breeze scattered rubbish and dead leaves as the front doors of the Shikoku Power Plant opened for the first time in more than forty years. The wind made a sound like a yawn. The Paranormal Experts crew turned on their flashlights and quickly adjusted all of their television equipment so that they could begin filming in the dark. There was still some light coming into the building through its boarded up windows, but as the sun went down, that light would fade fast.

The lobby was completely empty. Only a few chairs had been left behind when the building's furniture had been sold. To the left of the entrance was a long hallway, and to the right were the double doors that led into the main room where all of the generators were located.

A handful of little tanuki scurried into their hiding places as Kiyotsugu stepped inside. Chiaki shrieked, jumping and pointing at each yokai, but neither of the camera men could adjust their focus quickly enough to catch the tanuki on video. "Over there! There! Up there! No, there! Right! No, Left! Your other left, dunce!"

"I think we missed them all." Kiyotsugu admitted, sounding disappointed.

Chiaki pouted, but only for a moment. One of the camera men checked her microphone. He gave her a "thumbs up" to signal that it was ready, and the light on his camera switched from red to green. As soon as the filming started again, Chiaki had a winning smile plastered on her face.

Kana hesitated in the doorway, the last to enter the power plant. From where she stood, it looked as though the members of the reunited Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol were about to walk right into the mouth of an enormous monster. Jiro yawned slightly and Kana raised an eyebrow in his direction. He smelled like he'd been drinking a lot of sake. Was that why he was so calm?

When Rikuo glanced over his shoulder to see if she was following him, Kana took a deep breath and ran to his side. He took her hand and she relaxed slightly, despite the fact that she suddenly felt quite cold. Though Kana wasn't about to admit it to Rikuo, she _did _still have her gun. This time, she'd also loaded it with two real bullets. There were four more bullets in her purse, but she had felt safer not using them all. If they were attacked by some angry yokai, who knew what might happen?

Kiyotsugu and Chiaki led the way into the main room. The huge machines had not been used in a very long time. Since part of the roof had fallen in, the floor was littered in debris and everything metal was corroded from years of rain and snow. The drywall and the remaining ceiling tiles were covered with black mold. Saori grimaced, holding her nose and Kiyotsugu gave a low whistle.

"This place is creepier than that old auditorium we explored back in Junior High." He remarked. "Do you remember sneaking in there?"

Rikuo nodded slightly. How could he forget? They had all almost been killed by one of Tamazuki's underlings and he'd been unable to do anything about it until the sun went down. At the time, it was the closest he'd come to revealing his secret to his friends. There were some things about being yokai that Rikuo did not like, but feeling helpless was far worse. Though Inugamigyobu had promised that the Shikoku yokai wouldn't cause him any serious trouble, Rikuo was still nervous. He sensed something in the old power plant and he felt much better knowing that night was not far off. If anyone saw that he was openly carrying Nenekirimaru, they didn't say anything.

Though they had already done most of their introductory narration outside, Kiyotsugu and Chiaki explained to their cameras that ten people had vanished near the power plant since it had been closed down. They introduced Yura as a "real live onmyoji" and Rikuo as "a Kanto yokai investigator". Yura said nothing at all, but the expression on her face suggested that she thought she was far too grown-up and important to be on such a silly show.

"This reminds me of ___Don__ Kanonji_." Saori whispered, rolling her eyes. The show had focused on a self-proclaimed "spiritual master" and had attracted a large number of fans despite being unforgivably stupid. When she and Natsume were in Junior High, they had both secretly watched it.

"I know, right?" Natsume beamed. She crossed her arms, adopting Kanonji's famous pose. "Muahahaha! The spirits are _always_ with you!"

Jiro groaned and threw up in a nearby trash can.

Rikuo waved as the cameras were turned on him, looking somewhat embarrassed. He looked up at the sky through the hole in the roof at the setting sun. Though the main room was the most interesting, there were three floors of offices on the west side of the building, and he got the distinct impression that any danger they might run into was somewhere over in that area. What bothered him most, however, was that apart from the nervous little tanuki, he hadn't seen or heard any of his subordinates.

Where were they? Why weren't they making trouble?

Not for the first time, Rikuo thought of the Baku. He also wondered why neither Tamazuki nor Tsurara had tried to scare Kana yet. She was a very easy mark and a golden opportunity had already presented itself several times.

A swirl of fresh green leaves suddenly whipped up around Chiaki. She shrieked dramatically and seized Rikuo's arm, almost knocking him right off of his feet. Kana stumbled into the wall and grimaced as she saw that she'd gotten a black mark on the sleeve of her white coat.

"What is it, Chiaki-chan?" Kiyotsugu wondered. He had adopted a silly "heroic" pose and a tone of voice that Natsume and Saori found it very difficult not to laugh at.

Picking up a leaf, Chiaki showed it to the camera. "Where did all of these leaves come from?" She wondered innocently.

"It looks to me like we have an infestation of tanuki!" Kiyotsugu observed. "What do you think, Rikuo-sama?"

Rikuo coughed as the cameras turned on him. "Um, tanuki? Sure."

Off camera, Chiaki gave him a disapproving look.

"What do you want me to say?" Rikuo demanded.

"Cut!" Kiyotsugu groaned. The cameras stopped. Kiyotsugu surveyed the Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol. No one looked very impressed. "Can't you all act a little more more excited?"

"You want me to be afraid of Tamazuki's brothers and sisters?" Rikuo snorted. "They're not even supposed to be in here! If I threw my hands up in the air and shouted "boo", they'd all run away!"

"So would you chase them off on camera for me?" Kiyotsugu suggested hopefully. "Ooh! Or maybe you could draw your sword or work some magic instead? C'mon, Rikuo-sama! This needs to be our best show ever!"

"First, the sun hasn't set yet!" Rikuo replied. "Second, I'm only here to make sure that you stay out of trouble! It's weird enough pretending to be a "yokai investigator". Besides, I don't want anyone watching to figure out a connection between me and..." He trailed off into silence. There was really no reason to say anything more.

"Well then, I suppose we have no choice but to keep looking for something worth filming." Kiyotsugu decided. "A place like this must be swarming with yokai! Let's keep looking!"

"Victory will be ours!" Chiaki proclaimed, parading after him.

Yura put her hands on her hips. Saori glanced to Natsume and both of them groaned.

Kana smiled. With Kiyotsugu dragging everyone around, it felt a bit like the old days. It was very easy for her to forget all of the awful things that had happened, although she still shivered at the thought of Tamazuki's lecherous stare. Of course, Rikuo had promised to protect her, and she did trust him. She glanced in his direction. The sun would be setting soon, and the fading light from outside was already staining the sky red. Kana could see that same fiery color reflecting in Rikuo's normally brown eyes. When the sun went down, would he assume his yokai form?

Television audiences would surely think that the change which came over him was nothing more than clever costuming and computer generated effects, but Kana knew better. At night Rikuo behaved like a completely different person. It had been awkward enough seeing her childhood friend for the first time in five long years. She'd always been attracted to him, but she was much too shy to admit it. Of course, Rikuo was shy himself, at least during the day. Night Rikuo would not hesitate to take her out for a romantic moonlit walk. He'd even bought her dinner and drinks at an exclusive yokai-only restaurant and gambling house run by the Neko Clan. It was very possible that he didn't even know how difficult he was to resist when he sat brooding in the branches of his cherry tree. What girl could possibly resist?

Despite how nervous yokai still made her, Kana knew that she would not play hard to get if Rikuo ever actually tried to sweep her off her feet. She'd gotten her hair and her nails done before getting on the plane specifically _hoping _that Rikuo would notice how grown-up she was and hopefully see her in a different light.

_It shouldn't be so difficult to get the attention of a seventeen year old boy. _Kana frowned slightly, glancing at Rikuo. He was staring up at the ceiling and had his hand on the hilt of Nenekirimaru. Of course, Kana knew that Rikuo was no ordinary boy. For many years he'd had responsibilities that no high school senior could dream about. He was a real hero who'd fought monsters and saved the world more than once, like a character in a fantasy manga. Rikuo could have lorded over everyone and yet he chose not to. Kana _did_ notice, however, that Kiyotsugu was in the habit of calling him "Rikuo-sama".

Kana didn't hear much of what Kiyotsugu and Chiaki were saying to the cameras as they led the way down the hall. To the Paranormal Experts, the building's mysterious and gruesome history was very exciting. To Jiro, Natsume, and Saori, it seemed mildly interesting, like something they might have watched on television. But Yura and Rikuo both suspected real danger, and that made Kana very afraid.

A snowflake landed on her nose and Kana sneezed. When she looked up, there was no sign of where it had come from.

Up ahead, the corridor split in two. There were two sets of stairs, one going up to the second floor and a second going down to the basement. "All right, Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol!" Kiyotsugu stood with his hands on his hips. "Here is where we split up!"

Kana stared at the straws Kiyotsugu held in his fist nervously. Was he crazy?

"Half of these straws are painted red on the bottom and the other half are blue." Kiyotsugu explained. "The red group will go with me and our first camera down to the basement. The blue group will go with Chiaki and our second camera up to the roof."

"Why aren't we all sticking together?" Saori wondered.

"Our show only lasts forty-five minutes!" Kiyotsugu explained. "And this is a really big place, loaded with all kinds of yokai! We need to explore as much of it as we possibly can! This is for the sake of our research!"

"For our research!" Chiaki echoed. "I'll do my best, boss!" She gave him a dramatic salute.

"Fair enough." Yura nodded. She drew a blue straw.

Rikuo stepped forward and drew a red straw.

Kana held her breath and prayed for a red straw. If she didn't get one, it would look cowardly to ask someone else to trade. Though Rikuo had promised to protect her, she didn't want him to think that she couldn't stand on her own two feet.

Jiro sighed and then smiled slightly as he saw that he'd drawn a red straw. Natsume took a straw next and hers was blue. Before Saori could pick the third straw, Kana lunged and seized it. She very slowly opened her eyes to see what color it was. It was also blue.

Kana tried not to look too nervous as she went to stand beside Yura. The onmyoji had saved her life more than once before. It wasn't that she didn't trust Yura. It was just that she would have preferred to be protected by Rikuo, especially when his underlings from the Nura Clan were probably planning all kinds of horrible mischief.

"Thirty minutes, back here!" Chiaki announced, checking her cell phone with the time stamp on her camera man's camera. "Happy hunting, Kiyotsugu-kun!" She winked, running for the stairs. Natsume followed with an exasperated sigh. The camera man picked up the rear. A cold chill raced down her spine and Kana quickly jumped in front of Yura. It was safest, she suspected, to be somewhere in the middle of the pack. If she wasn't up in the front, she couldn't be as easily surprised... and if she wasn't in the back, she wouldn't feel so vulnerable.

Rikuo watched Kana disappear around the corner with Yura and the camera man close behind her. She was so nervous it made him worried, and he hoped that she'd taken his advice and gotten rid of her gun. A girl who scared so easily had no business with a weapon like that! She was just as liable to hurt one of her friends or herself as she was to hurt any yokai who might startle her.

He sighed and followed after Jiro who was having some trouble making it down the stairs. After drinking with Awashima and Kurotabo most of last night, his friend had a ferocious hangover and it showed. He would probably be embarrassed later to remember that he'd gone on television looking so awful. Fortunately, with Kiyotsugu's antics, it was very possible that no one would actually notice what a mess Jiro was.

Of course, Saori wasn't distracted by Kiyotsugu. He hadn't changed at all since Junior High and she'd never paid much attention to him back then. "What did you do last night, you dummy?" She chided Jiro, elbowing him a little. He stumbled again.

"It was those yokai!" Jiro replied sullenly. "And Kiyotsugu drank more than I did!"

"Hunh. He seems totally fine." Saori observed. "But I guess did drink four energy drinks before we left the VIP tent."

"That's right! _The __Power of Black Garlic__!_ I buy that stuff by the case! It's the best!" Kiyotsugu proclaimed. He was already around the corner on the landing below them but apparently he could still hear everyone loud and clear.

"Here. Have one." The camera man passed Jiro a small black and gold bottle.

Jiro glanced at the ingredients on the label. "Is this stuff even legal?" He demanded.

"Legal, sure. But safe? I don't know. I mean, look at Kiyotsugu!" Saori hissed. "He's completely mental!"

"He's always been like that." Jiro reminded her.

"You want one?" The camera man asked Rikuo

"I don't think I need any caffeine. It's almost sundown." Rikuo replied.

The camera man shrugged. He obviously didn't understand what Rikuo meant by that, but Jiro and Saori glanced at one another nervously.

"You're not actually going to... you know?" Jiro began. He knew perfectly well that it was Rikuo's habit to change into his yokai form at night, but on live television?

"Of course not. The Lord of Pandemonium can't get caught on camera. It would ruin his reputation." Rikuo rolled his eyes. "But I _did _get my Fear back." As he spoke, his appearance rippled slightly like a reflection in water. "And if anyone could bottle _that_, Kiyotsugu's _Black Garlic _would be out of business." Rikuo finished. Saori took a hesitant step back.

"That was seriously creepy!" She informed Rikuo.

Jiro shrugged. He cracked open the energy drink and was about to take a sip when something small and fast-moving shot over his head, snatching the drink right out of his hand. Saori shrieked and grabbed the camera man's leg. He swore incoherently as his hat popped right off of his head and floated across the room like a little boat on a slow moving river. High pitched giggles filled the air. A shower of bright green leaves poured down on them. Saori picked up a leaf. She shrieked as something suddenly tugged on her hair.

"Don't panic. We're surrounded by tanuki." Rikuo explained. "They like mischief, but they're not dangerous."

"Ow!" Jiro grimaced as an acorn struck him in the side of the head. "Are you sure about that?"

Rikuo rolled his eyes. "Hey, you stupid little raccoons!" He shouted. "Cut it out! Can't you read the kanji on the back of my coat?" He put his hand on the hilt of Nenekirimaru. The giggling immediately fell silent and the flurry of leaves disappeared.

"Ooh, big tough guy!" Saori smirked. "That's new for you, Rikuo-kun."  
Rikuo did not reply. "Where did Kiyotsugu go?" He asked.

The three glanced at one another.

"Forget Kiyotsugu." Jiro paused. "Didn't we have his camera man with us a minute ago?"  
Sure enough, the camera man was also gone.

"I knew this splitting up business was a bad idea." Saori sighed. "They probably got excited and ran ahead of us. Let's keep going downstairs."

"Uh..." Jiro began to protest. "Where _are_ the stairs?"

Sure enough, the steps leading both up and down had completely disappeared.

"This place is changing all around us!" Saori gasped. She pounded on the concrete wall. "Help!" She shouted. "Kiyotsugu! Can you hear us?"

Jiro's flashlight flickered and went out. He shook it, trying to get it to turn back on again.

Then, Saori's flashlight also began to flicker. "No!" She whispered fearfully. "No, don't you dare go out!"

The light cut off.

"Jiro! Rikuo!" Saori shouted into the dark. There was no response.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kana headed up the stairs. She followed after Chiaki who was skipping along but made sure to stay close to Yura. The girls passed a number of identical doors with little square windows covered in dust. Natsume rubbed one window clean with the sleeve of her shirt and peered inside the room. "It looks like a laboratory." She announced. "Maybe the workers stored their chemicals up here? Although... I'm not sure why they have _that_."

Kana squinted through the window. Sure enough, Natsume was pointing to a chair that was tilted back at an odd angle underneath a lamp that had long since burned out. It looked like it belonged in a dentist's office. All around the chair, the space was empty except for a small table with several tools on it. The walls of the room were lined with shelves filled with glass bottles of different kinds of chemicals. Some of them looked very old.

"Isn't this place supposed to be a power plant?" Kana asked. She was beginning to feel even more uncomfortable than before. In her experience with yokai, things usually started seeming out of place right before they got really dangerous.

"That's what everyone says." Chiaki admitted.

"Could there have been something going on here that no one knew about?" The camera man wondered. "Maybe we should go in there?"

Yura shuddered. "You're welcome to, but I'm staying right here!"

"What are you afraid of? You're an onmyoji, right? It's just an old dentist's chair!" Chiaki teased.

"Yokai don't scare me." Yura replied flatly. "Have you ever had a root canal?"

"No." Chiaki admitted.

"I didn't think so." Yura smiled slightly.

"That's why you shouldn't eat so much sugar!" Kana whispered. She knew about Yura's secret weakness for sweets.

Yura sighed in defeat. Natsume jiggled the handle of the door and it popped open. A gust of stale air blew out and Kana grimaced.

"Ooh, it smells like a biology class!" Natsume grimaced.

"That's formaldehyde." Chiaki wrinkled her nose. We've done a couple episodes at haunted hospitals." She explained.

"Why would they need formaldehyde at a power plant?" Kana wondered. She noticed that Yura, despite her fear of dentists, had followed her into the room and had her hand on the pouch that she kept her prayer strips in. Clearly, the onmyoji sensed something.

"They wouldn't. Not for any reason I can think of." Chiaki paused. "It's used for preserving things like um... brains in jars, dead pigs, stuff like that."

"Ew." Natsume grimaced. "Doesn't stuff like that give you the creeps?"

"Something that's dead can't hurt you. Why be afraid of it?" Chiaki replied cheerfully.

As the camera man signaled that he was about to start recording, Chiaki's expression changed. She suddenly looked very afraid and somewhat stupid. "I promised Kiyotsugu-kun I would try to be brave, but this place is sooo scary! We found a laboratory on the third floor. We haven't seen any yokai yet, but this just feels like the kind of place where something might jump out at you! Oh, I don't know if my heart can take it! It's a good thing we have our onmyoji friend along for protection. Yura-san?"

Yura did not respond. She was examining the shelves on the opposite wall.

"Let's take a look at some of these bottles!" Chiaki waved to her camera man. "Hm, I wonder what this is?" She moved aside a glass bottle, glanced at its label and then reached for another bottle on the same shelf, further in the back.

It suddenly got very quiet in the room. "Something has my wrist." Chiaki whispered fearfully.

Kana paled. "Something?" She echoed. The expression on Chiaki's face did not suggest that she was pretending to be afraid. Yura turned slowly.

"It's not letting go!" Chiaki looked very worried. The camera man crept closer. He angled his flashlight and changed it to the brightest setting.

A hand suddenly shot out of the wall and knocked his camera into his face. The camera man landed flat on his back. Blood trickled from his nose. Chiaki shrieked. Another hand was holding her by the wrist and it lifted her up. As her feet left the floor, she started kicking madly but it didn't seem to do any good. The arm the hand was connected to was spider-like with gray skin, like an old, emaciated corpse.

The whole building began to shake. Dozens of glass bottles fell from the shelves and Kana stared in horror. The wall behind all of the medicines was made of contorted bodies cemented together. They groaned in pain and reached for her with claw-like fingers. Their eyes were hollow and black. In the years that she had known Rikuo, Kana had run into a number of terrifying yokai, but the stench of death and the sight of those grasping hands was worse than anything she had ever seen before.

Yura immediately seized a prayer strip from her purse. She was preparing to invoke one of her shikigami, but the first word of the incantation did not roll off of her tongue. A hand came from the wall behind her and seized her by the neck. She gasped and struggled for breath.

Kana fumbled for her gun. "Put them down!" She ordered, pointing her weapon at one of the central heads. It seemed to be oozing out of the wall to get a closer look at her.

Dust billowed from its mouth. Its teeth were yellowed and jagged. "A human_?_" The yokai spoke with a voice that reverberated. All of the corpses in the walls began to move, moaning and tugging on Kana's white coat. Their fingers left streaks of black and the smell of old blood wherever they touched.

"We'll leave!" Chiaki sobbed. "Please, please, don't hurt us!"

"Leave?" The yokai cackled. "No, you will not leave. You will _stay_. You will stay for a very long time!"

The central head expanded in size and unhinged its lower jaw like a snake. It dangled Chiaki over its mouth as if it intended to swallow her whole.

Chiaki screamed

Kana fired twice. A hand lashed out of the wall and struck her across the face.

She crumpled to the ground and her whole world faded to black.

* * *

Water dripped from the ceiling. Rikuo slowly regained consciousness. At first he couldn't see anything, but then he felt a cold, familiar hand holding his. It hurt to turn his head, but when he did he saw Tsurara kneeling at his side.

"Rikuo-sama!" She exclaimed. "You're awake! I was getting worried!"

Rikuo slowly sat up. Though he felt weak and clumsy, he did not need to see his own reflection to know that he'd assumed his Night form. How long had he been unconscious?

Or maybe time had nothing to do with it?

There was certainly a lot of energy swirling around in the place that they'd come to. It was quite dark, but from what he could see, it looked a bit like the cave under the old mansion that had previously served as the Baku's prison. Wherever they were, it was _not _where they had been before.

"What happened?" Rikuo wondered.

"No idea." Yura replied. She was sitting next to Kiyotsugu, who was fiddling with his flashlight.

On the other side of the room sat Kana. Her white coat was gone and so was her purse. She'd also lost one of her shoes. She wasn't crying or shuddering, but the expression on her face seemed catatonic. Whatever she had seen was obviously something she didn't know how to handle.

"Kana?" Rikuo slowly approached her. "Are you all right?"

"It's nothing." She replied quickly, rubbing a smudge of black off of her face.

"You were attacked?" Rikuo observed. "Who was it? Tamazuki?" He pressed. "The Baku?"

Yura shook her head. "It was a yokai I've never seen before. A_ very _powerful one. I thought for certain that it was going to kill us. But then all of our flashlights went out... and it ran away for some reason."

"The same thing happened to us." Rikuo paused.

Tsurara shrugged. "Well, we never had any flashlights." She admitted. "But I was with Tamazuki. Whatever it was, neither of us saw it coming."

"That's no good." Kiyotsugu paused. "How many of your subordinates were in supposed to be in here trying to scare us, Rikuo-sama?"

"I don't know exactly. Probably most of the ones who came to Shikoku with me. Aotabo, Kurotabo, Awashima, Itaku..."

"The yokai can take care of themselves." Yura interrupted. "It's Kiyotsugu's crew and our old friends that we need to worry about first."

"Didn't Inugamigyobu say that this place was supposed to be empty, Rikuo-sama?" Tsurara pressed.

"There's something that feels _wrong _here." Yura admitted. "Don't you feel it, Rikuo?"

Rikuo closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. The air all around him was thick with Fear, but it was not an aura he recognized. "We're not alone." He whispered, drawing his blade.

"One of your subordinates, Rikuo-sama?" Kiyotsugu wondered.

"No." Rikuo shook his head. "Show yourself!" He ordered.

A faint sinister laugh immediately caught his attention. He heard the sound of a monk's staff on stone. "_Rude boy! _You shouldn't be giving orders in someone else's house!"

"Who are you?" Rikuo demanded. "Identify yourself!"

As the stranger stepped into the faint glow of Kiyotsugu's flashlight, Rikuo realized that he was the same man who had taken the wounded Baku back to his master. Rikuo remembered that he'd called himself Himitsu, not that such a name meant anything at all.

"Have you already forgotten me so quickly? From all of the stories I've heard, I expected you to be clever." The shadow snorted. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to discover that your reputation is... somewhat exaggerated. So you're just another barbaric yakuza running around with a sword pretending to be a prince, are you? Frankly, I'm disappointed!" He taunted.

"You can't speak to Rikuo-sama like that! My master is the Lord of Pandemonium!" Tsurara warned. "What kind of yokai are you?" She demanded, watching Himitsu suspiciously.

"I am a jikininki." Himitsu replied.

"A corpse eater." Rikuo observed.

"That's a vulgar way to put it." Himitsu snorted with distaste.

"A corpse eater?" Kana echoed. She looked very uncomfortable with the prospect.

"Jikininki is a hungry ghost. A spirit that subsists on human remains. That's an ugly fate for a former monk." Yura remarked, her eyes fixed on his staff. "You must have done something very bad in life."

"So you know a bit about me, do you, onmyoji? If you're so smart, then why have you come to my master's home?" Himitsu demanded. "You must know that the living are _not _welcome here!"

"I'm beginning to get that impression. So where exactly are we? I take it this isn't the Shikoku Power Plant." Kiyotsugu paused.

"No." Jikininki replied. "This is the very edge of Jigoku. And because of the unusual circumstances of your arrival here, my master Emma-o wants all of you brought before him immediately."

Rikuo did not relax his grip on Nenekirimaru, not that he expected it would do much good against the jikininki who had probably already been dead for centuries. He knew where Jigoku was, and he recognized the name Emma-o. Still, he couldn't bring himself to ask the question that stuck in his throat.

"What is he talking about?" Kana demanded. "What kind of yokai is Emma-o?"

"He's not a yokai." Yura took a deep breath. "Emma-o is a God. He's the Judge of the Dead."


End file.
